tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-125316472016-06-06T12:48:20.873-07:00TRI and be happyHollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09681721665977312271noreply@blogger.comBlogger607125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12531647.post-17724653146798403932015-10-09T14:40:00.001-07:002015-10-09T14:40:48.261-07:00What if...What if you were given the opportunity to reset? What if you were given the opportunity and the gift to pursue a few specific dreams, with no expectation other than to do what makes you happy and healthy. That is the amazing place that I find myself in today.<br /><br />I'm a goal-driven person, having specific goals help drive and define me but it is a double edge sword because I have a very "all or nothing" side to my personality. It makes for extremes in my life - sometimes great for focusing on long-term goals (<i>like training for an Ironman</i>, <i>or planning professional projects</i>) and sometimes bad. (<i>like being a work-a-holic, and managing an ongoing eating disorder/addictive personality</i>)<br /><br />So when trying to define "happy and healthy" I find myself contemplating balance because at the age of 45, it became clear to me and my husband in the last six months that it was a "healthy balance" of work and play that is missing from my life.<br /><br />So here I am now, released from what society assumes are the traditional responsibilities of a married woman with no children. (<i>full time work</i>) Encouraged to explore, to play and to get my physical health back and define what "balance" is for myself.<br /><br />5 by 50.<br /><br />Here goes something...<br /><br />Life is good, LiveSTRONG. <br /><br />Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09681721665977312271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12531647.post-24515082302669966872015-02-24T09:32:00.000-08:002015-02-24T09:40:11.291-08:00Who are you?It has been a while since I have posted, a long while. It has been a while since I felt like myself, a long while...<br /><br />So today, on a rare day off in the middle of the week, I find myself silently asking "Who are you?" and realizing that I do not like some of the answers coming back from my internal-self.<br /><br />Excuse me for what is about to sound, perhaps a little melodramatic, but sometimes getting things out is the best way for me to deal with my emotions. Speaking the obvious forces me to deal with it, acknowledge it and move forward.<br /><br />When I was 28, I was miserable with my life. I was 298 pounds, I was in debt, I hated my job, and I was making bad decisions on a daily basis. It was that number on the scale that broke through to my subconscious and prompted a dramatic shift in the direction I would take my life. I made a deliberate decision to change and turned my life around 180 degrees. I found a new job, I moved further south (from Delaware to Northern VA/DC), I dedicated myself to getting out of debt and I focused all my energy on losing weight. By the time I was 30-years old, I had lost 120 pounds, stopped looking to my "final weight goal of being 145 and a size 8," and redefined myself instead as a long-distance cyclist. I was debt free, building my professional career, and a building a solid network of friends. I was confident, happy, and healthy and was on the verge of discovering triathlon and meeting my future husband.<br /><br />Looking back now, I am amazed at how much my life changed within two years time. When I think of how long my husband and I have been together, 15 years total (married just 5 of those years), I realize that he met me just as I was redefining who I am.<br /><br />In 2005, my perception of my "self" was redefined again, this time by outside forces (although it was really 'inside'), as I was diagnosed with cancer. I took it upon myself to choose, as much as I could, how that would redefine me. While there was not much I could control about the treatment and outcome, I could define for myself what kind of "cancer survivor" I would be. That brought amazing opportunities to learn many things about myself, positive and negative. And while it is not a definition that anybody seeks, I did my best to make it a "positive" in my life.<br /><br />In 2011, my husband and I moved to the deep South. I came with the idea that I knew who I was and what was important to me, but I moved without having developed the skills that I would need to "define myself" in the context of this new environment. Immediately, I felt lost and some day, still do.<br /><br />Things are most assuredly different in the deep South. Different...in wonderful ways, in strange ways, and sometimes in hard ways. And I find myself older and not really willing to be the chameleon of "change" that I was in my late 20s. I want to be the woman that I transformed myself into while living "inside the Beltway", here in the deep South. However, our life has changed and I struggle to find balance in all this change, even four years after the move.<br /><br />I left my job for our move, and had already been slacking on my general health and fitness (moving is stressful) and the freedom of being home, it turns out, is more like having "no direction" than "being free" to my personality. I was lost and no amount of "race goals" could seem to help me find my way back to the answer to the question "Who are you?" because who I am, here, is different because "here" is different from "there."<br /><br />I thought training for another Ironman-distance triathlon (IMFL 2013) would help me "find myself" and it certainly gave me focus and direction for a short period of time but once it was over, I was struggling once more. So I jumped back into a full time job in my professional career and the change in schedule and focus was so dramatic that I have backpedaled to far in the wrong direction, away from who I want to be. Work is all consuming and stressful instead of a creative and busy way to spend the time between workouts and time with my husband and our slow-growing network of friends. (<i>slow-growing by choice, we choose quality over quantity these days when it comes to relationships</i>)<br /><br />With work all consuming, I tried to find another dramatic way to redefine myself and threw myself into training and fundraising for the Ulman Cancer Fund and Mission2Vine 700-mile Team Relay Run/Experience. In my mind, the Mission2Vine experience would reinforce my "athlete" and "cancer survivor" sides. I pushed hard, working full-time, training full-time and fundraising full-time, "full speed ahead, body be damned", until I was injured but still steadfast and stubbornly determined to go to California and be part of the UCF Mission2Vine experience. <b>The experience was very good for my soul</b> but very hard on my body physically, and the time away from work - which should have been a break - unfortunately just made for more stress when I returned, now behind the curve and injured.<br /><br />There has been a transformation in me over the last year, physically and emotionally, and in my personal opinion, it has not been a healthy one. My weight is up, a lot. I can no longer rest on the laurels of "I once lost 120 pounds" and "I am a two-time Ironman triathlete" and I must face the reality that I have gained 60 pounds back. I have pushed my body, hard, to attempt to maintain my fitness in spite of the weight gain and my body has paid the price. I am injured more often than I am healthy, because of the additional weight. I am stressed more often than I am happy at work, and I am unhappy a lot because I look in the mirror and can not abide by the woman staring back at me.<br /><br />So the time is here again, to answer the question "Who are you right now?" with honesty and clarity and then answer the more important questions "Who do you want to be?" and "What are you going to do to get there?"<br /><br />Life is Good. LiveSTRONG! Be BRAVE!Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09681721665977312271noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12531647.post-57383478641992292622014-10-01T08:57:00.001-07:002014-10-01T09:02:47.903-07:00Congratulations to the HOKA ONE ONE COWBELL WINNER!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T0SJ-1Qwar8/VCwgjT3SCDI/AAAAAAAACx8/tzueSj_P4Zc/s1600/Random_Winner_HOKAS.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T0SJ-1Qwar8/VCwgjT3SCDI/AAAAAAAACx8/tzueSj_P4Zc/s320/Random_Winner_HOKAS.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Well I didn't think SNIP IT would take such a small photo but there it is...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: blue;">(if you click on the photo, &nbsp;you can get a better view)</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The WINNER of the HOKA COWBELL RAFFLE IS...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">#27. Valerie Papachristos</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Congratulations Valerie and THANK YOU</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">for your generous support of the Ulman Cancer Fund!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Enjoy your HOKA ONE ONE and </div>your custom CT5K Cowbell will be on it's way to you early next week!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09681721665977312271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12531647.post-61923574980184950472014-09-11T19:00:00.005-07:002014-09-11T19:03:11.982-07:00Support the Ulman Cancer Fund and you could WIN A PAIR OF HOKA ONE ONE!I know, I have not been around on the blog but I have been keeping busy with a new job and I have signed myself up for an amazing opportunity to support my passion - The Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults. In just 6 weeks, I will be joining 20 runners in San Deigo, CA to run 700 miles up the California coast in the 2014 Mission to Vine.<br /><br /><div id="sfp-campaign-content">Mission to Vine is 7 day, 700 Mile running journey up the Pacific Coast Highway to support the young adult cancer fight.<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The journey brings together a diverse group of individuals to build a community of support for those affected by cancer.&nbsp; Using running as a platform, Mission to Vine participants come together throughout the journey to share their individual cancer connections and offer as much support to others as they are receiving.</div><br />The Mission to Vine journey is more than just a run.&nbsp; It’s not a race.&nbsp; It’s not a competition. &nbsp;It’s an experience that will allow participants to give support and get support in the young adult cancer fight.&nbsp; The journey will begin at Mission Beach in San Diego, CA and end in the Vines of Sonoma, CA.</div><br />Training is going well...Now it is time to get the Fundraising for my "Mission to Vine" up and running too! <br /><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span><span style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: blue;">Make a $25.00 Donation to my Fundraising Page and you could WIN A PAIR OF HOKA ONE ONE Running Shoes!</span></b></span></span></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r0OZFB7Fxpw/VBJQGgFTu3I/AAAAAAAACxE/53aVt79xVIQ/s1600/Hoka-One-One-Stinson-Evo-white.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r0OZFB7Fxpw/VBJQGgFTu3I/AAAAAAAACxE/53aVt79xVIQ/s1600/Hoka-One-One-Stinson-Evo-white.jpg" height="129" width="320" /></a></div><br />Between now and October 1, 2014, every person who makes a $25.00 donation to my #2014m2v Fundraising page will be entered in my <span style="color: blue;"><span style="background-color: yellow;"><b>UCF CT5K COWBELL Raffle</b></span> to win a <i><span style="color: #38761d;"><b>$200.00 gift card</b></i> </span>to <a href="http://hokaoneone.com/">hokaoneone.com</a>. and a custom <i><b>UCF CT5K Cowbell with your name on it!</b></i></span><br /><br /><u><b>RULES:</b></u><br />1.) One Raffle Entry per $25.00 donation<br /><br />2.) If you make a minimum donation of $25.00 and SHARE my Link on your Facebook Wall or a Facebook Page you manged, you will get 2 additional raffle entries*. <br />*2 extra for a Donation + SHARE only<br /><br />Do the Raffle Math: $25.00 - 1 Raffle entry, $100.00 = 4 Raffle entries, $25.00 + SHARE = 3 Raffle entries, $50.00 Donation + SHARE = 4 Raffle entries (2 for $50.00 + 2 for SHARE)<br /><br />3.) Raffle numbers will be assigned at the time of donation in chronological order and will also be posted here on triandbehappy.<br /><br />4.) The Raffle winner will be picked by a random number generator on Wednesday, OCT 1, 2014 and announced on Facebook and on my blog.<br /><br />This is your opportunity to 1.) Support the ULMAN CANCER FUND for Young Adults and it's programs and 2.) Win an amazing pair of running shoes! BUT YOU CAN"T WIN IF YOU DON'T DONATE!<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22https://www.z2systems.com/np/clients/ulman/campaign.jsp?campaign=544&amp;fundraiser=765456&amp;team=313#.U9Om_f-lBZw.facebook%22%3E" target="_blank"><img alt="&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.z2systems.com/np/clients/ulman/campaign.jsp?campaign=544&amp;fundraiser=765456&amp;team=313#.U9Om_f-lBZw.facebook&quot;&gt;" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SyvXHEeGZTg/VBJSri3GAJI/AAAAAAAACxQ/0GwLNshpBE0/s1600/m2v_holly_header-1-1200x431.jpg" height="114" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09681721665977312271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12531647.post-26583325322147536132013-12-11T19:08:00.002-08:002013-12-11T19:11:47.586-08:002013 Ironman Florida Race Report<div><div><div><div><div><div>WARNING: This is a long Race Report but it is appropriate considering it is a long race. ;)</div><div><br />BACKGROUND:&nbsp; I've been doing triathlons since 2001 and the Ironman distance has been on my radar since 2003. I signed up for my first Half Ironman (Timberman 70.3) specifically to see what I might be getting myself into. Boy was I surprised! I finished my race in 8:02 but knew the moment I crossed the line that I had 2-3 more years of training ahead before I should try to toe the line at an Ironman. I picked Ironman Lake Placid 2006 as my GOAL RACE as that race is in July in NY near my birthday. In Feb 2005, the year I planned to head to Lake Placid to volunteer and sign up, I was diagnosed with Stage III Melanoma. Obviously Ironman was no longer a focus, just surviving the year of chemo and treatment...so my Ironman race plans were post-poned.</div><div><br />Three years later in July 2008, Jim and I headed up to Lake Placid, NY to volunteer so that I could finally sign up for my first Ironman. That weekend not only did I sign up for Ironman Lake Placid 2009 but we got engaged to be married! Stubborn woman that I am, I would not listen when many of my Ironman finisher friends told me "Maybe getting married and training for Ironman in the same year is not the best idea..." I thought I would be fine, we'd get married in April 2009, I'd be in amazing shape for my wedding day because I would already be 8-months into training for IMLP and I would finish my first Ironman on my 39th Birthday in Lake Placid, NY!</div><div><br />Life sometimes has other plans...</div><div><br />We did get married in April 2009 and we both were in the best shape in a long, long time. My training was good but not perfect. Race Day came in July 2009 at Ironman Lake Placid and I finished the swim, and DNF'd by missing the first cuttoff on the 2-loop Bike Course by 30-minutes. A trip to the Medical Tent revealed that I was up 7 pounds in body weight and despite being ravenously thristy...I had hyponotremia. (diluted electrolytes in your blood due to intake of too much hydration) Luckily we caught it early, so there was no trip to the hospital for me...just intake of a lot of V8 juice and salt and a bit of a headache until my electrolyte balance came back to normal. I sat in the Medical Tent with tears rolling down my face, humiliated to have missed the first loop of the Bike cuttoff...knowing that my entire family and several friends has spent money to come to NY to watch me FINISH an Ironman. My husband Jim walked into the tent and through my tears, I said "Honey, there is a race in Wilmington, NC in November called Beach2Battleship...would you mind if I tried again?" Jim kissed me and said "Of course, why let all this great training go to waste...You should sign up when we get home." </div><div><br />So I took 2-weeks off of training and then threw myself back into Ironman training mode and in November 2009, I found myself on the beach with a small group of 500 triathletes racing the Ironman distance at Beach2Battleship. I finished in 16:17:45 and had the swim of my life. (1:24) I was proud that I figured out my nutrition that works for me, survived a flat tire at Mile 107 of the Bike and finally finished my first Ironman. But there was a little part of me that wondered...If it had not been a current assisted swim, would I have finished in 17:00?</div><div><br />Someday I wanted to do it again...I wanted to race an "M-Dot" (WTC) Ironman and erase the small bit of doubt...It would be another 3 years before the opportunity to train for an Ironman presented itself again...</div><div><br /></div></div></div></div></div><div>When I signed up for Ironman Florida in Nov 2012, I was just 2-weeks out of a cast on my left foot for a Posterior Tibial Tendon injury and weighing in on the scale more than 30 pound heavier than when I started IMLP &amp; B2B in 2009. I had confidence that 1.) I could rehab my injury 2.) I could take off some of this weight before race day.<br /><br />Beyond "FINISH my 2nd Ironman distance triathlon, I had 3 goals for Ironman Florida:<br /><br />1.) PR the M-DOT Swim (1:49 - Lake Placid 2009)<br />2.) 7:30 Bike Goal<br />3.) Run/Walk the Marathon - Pain Free</div><div><br /></div></div><div>RACE DAY:</div><div><br /><i><b>2.4 Mile Swim: 2:01:04 </b></i></div><div><br />Once upon a time (2006 &amp; 2007), I claimed I would "never" even consider Ironman Florida because it was an ocean swim. What AM I DOING ON THIS BEACH?!?</div><div>First Loop: Seeded myself in back of the 1:30-1:45 Finish Corral because I was striving for 1:40-1:45. Got kicked and grabbed and took a blow to my upper forehead (got an little egg shaped contusion on my head now...boo!) and yet I stayed calm because my primary focus was to get through the Break and find my rhythm. I looked around about 400yds into the swim - in the middle of a roller coaster swell and thought..."Look at me! I'm swimming with the big kids!"...and then by the second turn buoy, it was just me and the rest of the back of the pack but at least now I had room to practice my total immersion techniques and save my legs for the bike and run.</div><div>Finished the first loop (according to Jim) in 57:00&nbsp; - popped out of the water and heard them announcing that pro-female Rinney was finishing the swim. Looked around? "Where...where is Rinney?" but alas, I had to move on to my second loop. Ran next to another woman who said to me "I don't think I want to do this again..." and I said "Come On, Let's GO!" Not sure what she did but I did head back out for my second loop although I didn't run down the beach far enough and fought really hard to get through the Break again. I remembered thinking briefly "Oh No...What am I doing?" Which I immediately followed with " Come on Holly, You can do this...YOU CAN DO THIS!" and back in the drink I went. I tempted fate and peaked at my Garmin at the final red turn buoy before we headed back to shore...1:40...Well, no PR for me but if I stay steady I will be on the Bike before 9:15AM. Put my head down to finish the swim and get out of the water!</div><div>I told Julie B. &amp; Barry (Team MMS swim buddies all summer) that it was in that last loop that I actually realized that no matter what happened after this, I just had a PR of new kind. I swam the entire 2.4 miles in choppy water and stay relatively calm and happy the entire time! <br /><br />PR of a totally different kind! </div><div><br /></div><div>Out of the water, got my wetsuit stripped and sadly did not spend nearly enough time under the fresh water shower which I would pay for on the run...SAND IS EVIL!</div><div><br /><i><b>T1: 12:54:</b></i><br /><br />I changed COMPLETELY from the tri top and shorts I was wearing to a dry sports bra, regular bike shorts, and a cycling jersey, taking time to dry off and apply lots of TRI SLIDE &amp; sunscreen. Had help from an awesome volunteer, stopped by a Port-o-Let in Transition, was handed my bike and I was ready to go! Got some great cheers and love from Meagan C. and family, Julie &amp; Barry, my husband Jim and lots of DC "Team Z" teammates and was on my way...</div><div><br /><i><b>112-mile BIKE: 7:32:55&nbsp; </b></i><br /><br />HUGE SHOUT OUT to Montgomery Multisport and Andy because my bike fit was PERFECT! God Bless Andy because I must have tried at least 8 saddles before he helped me get the right one set up. My bike fit was perfect. I was never sore or had any odd pain in my back or shoulders. <br /><br />This Bike nearly went like clock work. I promised myself to be a "Zone 2 Heartrate Devote" ...no matter how many other people passed me on the bike. Whenever my heartrate monitor beeps at me that I was above my limit (165), I back off my pace. I set my Garmin to beep every 10-minutes to remind me to drink my custom blend of Infinit and at the top of every hour of race time I ate 1 GU. I averaged 325 calories per hour with this plan and felt great, despite headwinds, for the first 56 miles to special needs.<br /><br />The ONLY mistake that I made on the bike was eating about 10 pringles from my special needs bag. Something about the solid food (which I did not have issues with on stand alone long bike rides...) messed up my digestion. Within 30-minutes, my stomach was feeling bloated, sloshy and crampy. So for the next hour from between miles 65-80, I only drank my Infinit, took my GU and took some extra salt tablets. Nothing changed with my stomach issues BUT in doing some "self checks" I realized that while my stomach hurt, my legs felt good! So I took full advantage of the "tailwinds" that we had at Mile 80 and began to pick up my bike pace and passed fellow athletes for the remainder of the race.</div><div>Pulled in Transition around 5:00pm, having finished the ride with a negative split and a huge smile on my face...Just 26.2 miles between me and the Finish Line and plenty of time to go.</div><div><br /><i><b>T2: 12:07</b></i></div><div><br />I changed completely again into my CANCER to 5K running shirt and regular running shorts and compression socks and my Brooks. I had two things on my mind... My stomach was still a MESS of cramps and sloshing and the outside of my left foot was hurting quite a bit. (not the inside as I would expect from the tibial tendon) Rather than worry, I just walked towards the start of run course, stopping at the Port-o-Potty for a pitstop and then getting the Marathon underway.</div><div><br /><i><b>26.2 mile RUN: 6:48:02</b></i></div><div><br />THE CROWDS were AMAZING at the Mile 1 / Mile 13.1 point. Nothing like starting a Marathon between tons of TRI CLUBS and again I saw Meagan C., Team Z and also Cat and Coach Tony from Training Peaks! Having your name on your is a mixed blessing! When you need the love and encouragement it is great to have people yelling "GO HOLLY" but at the same time, when you were struggling or focused on figuring out how to fix stomach issues, I felt pressure to say "Thank you" to every stranger who called out my name. (First World problems, I know...)</div><div><br />My Marathon Plan was Run 1-minute / Walk 1-minute for 26.2 miles or until I could no longer run anymore and to hold the pace at no slower than 15-16-minutes per mile. Nutrition Plan was water, chicken broth and Cola from the aid stations along with 1 GU every 3rd mile. I was in considerable pain with my left foot for the first 6-miles but I knew that in an Ironman, things can change over time. So I told myself that my foot was just tight and that it could loosen up as the miles went on. STICK TO THE PLAN and started my intervals.</div><div><br />I took a long stop at a Port-o-Potty at Mile 4 and discovered that gas was the reason my stomach was cramping so badly. With that resolved, I was feeling much better but still in some foot pain. By Mile 6, my left foot finally stopped hurting! I was having a good time, Run/Walking, looking for fellow Team MMS and Team Z friends and just knocking down the miles. I saw Cason and Mark a few times as well as many of my DC Team Z friends but spent the first 10-mile run/waking alone. <br /><br />Sometimes around Mile 10, I met Heidi. She was power walking about as quickly as I was Run/Walking and we struck up a friendship. As I was having more and more trouble running, it was nice to have somebody to talk to when I had to walk and by the time we got to Special Needs at Mile 13.5, we have formed an alliance. We would keep each other moving, beat the Mile 19 cuttoff and finish together. I had stuck to Water and GU for the first 13.1 miles (Water whenever I wanted it and a GU every 3rd Mile) We made a very quick stop at Special Needs near 8:20pm and I grabbed 4 more GUs and we really started power walking. We wanted to be at Mile 19 by 10PM, a solid 30-minute ahead of the course cuttoff. Saw Meagan C., my friend Kathi and husband Jim near Mile 13.5 and off went Heidi and I, into the dark for Lap #2.</div><div><br />Heidi and I traded off on who was feeling good. For a few miles she would be just out ahead of me, a beacon to stay close to and then we would switch and I would feel better and she would lag a bit behind. At one point near Mile 18, I really had a 8th wind and pull pretty far ahead of Heidi. Concerned that she was starting to struggle (this was her first Ironman) I actually stopped at a Rest Stop and waited for her to catch up. (<i>Which incidentally really pissed my husband Jim off when he heard about it later..."It's YOUR Ironman! You don't stop and wait for others!"</i>) We had both begun to take either Chicken Broth or Cola at each stop but she had skipped a stop or two and was slowing down. I walked back to Heidi and told her that she needed to eat a GU, even if she didn't want to. "Trust Me on this, you don't want to get behind." She obliged...just barely and we push on, hitting out Mile 19 at our time goal. Just 7 miles to go and 2-hours left on the clock...</div><div>Heidi and I did not talk much for the next few miles but we were definately in it together. If one of us would groan or sigh, the other would mumble "We got this"...there were also a few swears. We were solidly keeping 15 to 16-minute miles focused on getting through the darkness and knocking out Mile Markers.<br /><br />AND THEN we hit Mile 22. </div><div><br />I don't know if it was the GU, or the calling of the Finish Line, or the fact that her Coach came by to check on her but DAMN if Heidi didn't find a 9th gear. I'd say she got the IRONMAN FINISH LINE BUG up her @ss and suddenly she was just gone. I heard her voice as she pulled away from me..."Holly, lets do this... 4-miles, we can do this in an hour...let's GO" and as I watch, desperate to walk faster...She was GONE.</div><div><br />AND OH WAS I PISSED!&nbsp; "M*ther F@@#$$, I waited for YOU at Mile 18!?!" <br /><br />and then I laughed and shook my head.</div><div><br />and then I looked at my watch, and then I started to try to Run again.</div><div><br /></div><div>My watch was still beeping away at its 1:00 intervals to remind me to Run/Walk. So I began to Run at the start of every beep, for as long as I could until I had to walk (20-30 seconds) and then I would Walk and recover until it beeped again. I was able to keep this up on and off for the next 2-miles. </div><div>Somewhere in Mile 23/24, I came across my close friend Patty. She had been ahead of me by a good 30-40 minutes since the swim, and we would cheer each other when we saw each other on the Bike (near special needs out and back) and on the Run. Still I was surprised to have caught her. I put my hand on her shoulder and said "Hey Patty, Patty!" and she smiled at me and said "Nice Run" and we walked and tried to run together for a few minutes until she told me to "Go Ahead" if I was feeling good. I wasn't feeling "GOOD" but I was so desperately tired of being out there. So I did go on ahead but I wasn't worried about Patty, I knew she would be just a minute or two behind me in the Finish Chute.</div><div><br />Mile 24 was quiet, there were only a handful of us on the course in this area. Most folks were just walking as fast as they could. I passed one guy and said "Can you hear it? We're going to make it" and he responded "I did the Math, I don't think so..." I left that guys side like he had the PLAGUE. There was no way that I was getting caught up in the negative energy. He might not be making it, but I sure as heck was! We still had 45-minutes to go 2.2 miles. If I have learned anything in Ironman, it is that your incapable of clearly doing math...your either behind or ahead...but you need to keep moving forward, no matter what!</div><div><br /></div><div>My amazing DC Team Z teammates were still out on that abandoned course and there were still 4 of us who were in the last 1.2 miles. When I had finally crossed S. Thomas Street for the last time,&nbsp; fellow Cancer Survivor and friend Patty J. was standing under a street light. She had come to check up on me and text ahead to the Team to let them know that I was looking strong and on my way. We ran/walked together for nearly the entire half mile and while it could have been considered outside assistance, I didn't care, I was happy for the company. For some reason, even though just a mile before I knew that I had plenty of time and would make it, I had come to believe that I was never going to make it to the finisher chute in time. This was the longest mile ever!&nbsp; It took about 10x of repeating my current moving pace and the fact that I had 20-minutes to go less than half a mile for me to truly believe Patty and then we turned the corner one last time by the Team Village and the Team Z tents. I got HIGH FIVES from my Coach and Teammates and then there it was...the Finish Chute!</div><div><br /></div><div>Now I have been to cheer and Volunteer at several Ironmans in the final hour. So I know what an amazing electric party atmosphere it is. I have stood on the side lines and banged on the chute walls and yelled and clapped and screamed "You are an IRONMAN" but never yet had I had the privileged of being on the inside of the chute. My Beach2Battleship Finish in 2009 was a quiet affair in comparison to the party that is an "M-Dot Ironman." So as I jogged down that Finisher Chute, I slowed down and savored EVERY MOMENT. I high fived as many hands as I could and when I saw that the clock was at 16:46:55, I happily stopped when the announcer approached me and let him turn me around so the entire crowd could yell to me "YOU. ARE. AN. IRONMAN!" and then I raise my hands in the air, turned and ran across the official finish line for a a time of 16:47:02.</div><div><br />My Day was nearly perfect! The only snafu was that after I crossed the Finish Line and a Volunteer came to help me, I found out that THEY RAN OUT OF FINISHER MEDALS &amp; HATS! I was told "We are so SORRY, but we had more Finishers than we expected! We will mail you a Finisher Medal and Hat." So I got a Finisher Shirt and the Medal and Hat are "In the Mail." Poor Form, World Triathlon Corporation. It's a good thing that is was knowing my friends and family were out there waiting to watch me finish that got me to the Finish Line and not the promise of a Finisher Medal, eh?</div><div><br />At the end of the day, what I will remember most, is how amazingly good I felt for 80% of the day. My training was good, my Taper worked perfectly and before I crossed the Start Line, my husband Jim kissed me and said "You are ready and you are going to have a great day! And you know that I never say anything that I do not believe is true."</div><div><br />Ironman Florida was a great day indeed and I am proud to say that I quieted the voice in my head who said that maybe Beach2Battleship 2009 was a "fluke".</div><div><br />I am a 2X IRONMAN Finisher.</div><br />Life is Good! LiveSTRONGHollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09681721665977312271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12531647.post-55524448656227971242013-11-06T08:04:00.002-08:002013-11-06T08:05:05.656-08:00I AM AN IRONMAN (again!)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o4_zCdUJqr0/Unpofu9Z6RI/AAAAAAAACow/DrO80I6jzUI/s1600/Florida13_Finish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o4_zCdUJqr0/Unpofu9Z6RI/AAAAAAAACow/DrO80I6jzUI/s320/Florida13_Finish.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Race Report to follow...Life is GOOD! LiveSTRONG!</div>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09681721665977312271noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12531647.post-10315002653338218632013-10-25T07:40:00.002-07:002013-10-25T07:40:31.275-07:00Full Circles...8 Days and CountingThere have been requests for an update to this BLOG. Friends and Family who want to know WHAT IS GOING ON!<br /><br />IRONMAN FLORIDA 2013 is in 8 Days....ARE YOU READY HOLLY?<br /><br />So I sat down to answer this question and realized something pretty significant in the process that blew my mind.&nbsp;<br /><br />To answer the question simply: YES, I am ready. I have done the hard work.<br />&nbsp; <br />To be more specific: Over the last year I have....<br /><br />• lost 20-pounds of fat and gained some significant muscle mass<br />•&nbsp; put in the hours in the pool, including swim lessons to improve my wonky stroke<br />• put in the hours on the bike, including 4 century plus ride (100-miles or longer)<br />• upgraded to a TRI bike (2012 Felt B12)<br />• am finally running again... My posterior tibial tendon injury has been healing and while it looks like this will be my longest marathon finish time, I should be able to cover the 26.2 miles (after a 2.4 mile swim and 112-mile Bike) with no pain.<br /><br />By the Training Numbers, since November 2012, I have covered...<br /><br />• Swim: 64 miles<br />• Bike: 1899 miles<br />• Run/Walk: 305 miles<br /><br />Now onto the <b><i>"Significant Something that Blew My Mind"</i></b><br /><br />In November 2006, there was this small idea brewing in the back of my mind. I thought it was a damn good idea but I was hesitant to share it with other people. I was worried that maybe I was wrong, that is wasn't such a good idea, that talking about it / sharing it with others, might be the beginning of the end. So it was on the weekend of November 3 while sitting on a deck enjoying champagne and chocolates and toasting my girlfriend's 2006 Ironman Florida finishes that I told the first people (aside from my future husband) about my idea for a free running program for fellow cancer survivors that would be called <a href="http://cancerto5k.org/" target="_blank">CANCER to 5K</a>. My friends were very encouraging and supportive. Telling me that was a great idea and that I should definitely work to make it happen. Several even offered to help me try to figure out a way to get it funded once we got back to Virginia.<br /><br />And that was how it all started...the courage and confidence to turn a small idea into an actual program began because I took a chance and shared with friends. While volunteering at my dream race, an Ironman.<br /><br />And now here I sit, (7 years later) 8 days away from starting my third Ironman distance triathlon. (you can read about my other two Ironman races here: <a href="http://triandbehappy.blogspot.com/2009/07/ironman-usa-race-report.html" target="_blank">IM Lake Placid 2009</a> and <a href="http://triandbehappy.blogspot.com/2009/11/beach-2-battleship-full-1406-runfinish.html" target="_blank">Beach2Battleship 2009</a>) Ironically the one North Amercia Ironman event that I said I "would never do because I hate swimming in the ocean." (Can you see the pattern, I like to do things that challenge me.)<br /><br />To date, over 100 cancer survivors have completed the <a href="http://cancerto5k.org/" target="_blank">CANCER to 5K training program</a> through the support of the <a href="http://ulmanfund.org/" target="_blank">Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults</a> and an amazing group of volunteer Coaches and Sherpas. Well over 141 people have been a part of the <a href="http://cancerto5k.org/" target="_blank">CANCER to 5K training program</a> and next Saturday, I have 140.6 miles to dedicate to every single one of them.<br /><br />140.6 miles to think about how I have come full circle...and how one great idea can make a difference, a big difference, if only you take a chance and share and dare to dream. I'll be wearing my CANCER to 5K shirt for the 26.2 miles of the Marathon. It seems like the only way to cross the finish line of Ironman Florida 2013.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-msqFmUVq7cY/UmqCzU7hGwI/AAAAAAAACoU/6Civ_gSLETw/s1600/IMFL_RUN_kit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-msqFmUVq7cY/UmqCzU7hGwI/AAAAAAAACoU/6Civ_gSLETw/s320/IMFL_RUN_kit.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><br />FULL CIRCLE. READY FOR RACE DAY!<br /><br />Life is Good! LIVESTRONG!<br /><br /><br />Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09681721665977312271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12531647.post-73150860460001521332012-10-26T07:41:00.001-07:002012-10-26T07:43:22.192-07:0053 Weeks and Counting...Next weekend I'll be in Florida...to vacation a little, to volunteer, to cheer on friends and teammates from Montgomery, AL and to sign up for Ironman Florida 2013. It seems like only yesterday that I was one week out from my second attempt (and first victory) at the elusive 140.6 miles that makes an Ironman triathlon. But my last 140.6 was three years ago. Oh how the times (and my body/fitness) have changed! I have a lot of hard work ahead.<br /><br />This time is different, of course. The fire in my belly of doing something "New" is gone. I have new motivations - Get back my triathlon fitness, Find some new inner strength, Connect with my local TRI group. But truthfully the fear and nerves are still there. My biggest *known* nemesis for the Ironman Florida course is the 2.4 mile ocean swim. It SCARES me!! I used to be scared of the unknown of swimming 2.4 miles but that passed after doing it 3 times successfully. Maybe not very quickly but fast enough to beat the requisite 2:20 cutoff in a variety of conditions [perfect, fast current and epic seasickness swells] and that is what matters on race day...<br /><br />BUT that was three year ago....and this is the Gulf of Mexico. I have witnessed Ironman Florida with epic rough swims (2006) and I have seen this race with beautiful swim conditions (2007). Like any triathlon, you get what you get on race day. It's what you do with it that matters. That is what I have to remind myself, every day for the next 373 days.<br /><b><i><br /></i></b><b><i>"You get what you get on race day. It is what you do with it that matters!" </i></b><br /><br />You had better believe that I will be doing a lot of open water ocean swims and shorter distance triathlons for the next 53 weeks, in addition to pool time. Oh and of course, some long biking and running with a side of Crossfit to keep me strong, fit and injury-free.<br /><br />Injury-free. Presumably I am there but after some tendon issues...I had to cancel my Goofy Challenge goals for Jan 2013. I am deferring to next year. Doing another Ironman means more to me right now and I am easing back into the running very slowly. I am 2 weeks out from being release from the cast (forced rest for my tendon) and not having any pain so the next step is to bring back the swimming and biking for two weeks, adjust the volume of walking and then slowly ease into running and Crossfit again. One careful, calculated step at a time over the next 53 weeks (and 1 day).<br /><br />My goal here is to blog at least weekly. To keep track of my progress, to maintain accountability and document my Ironman Florida 2013 journey. <br /><br />I am still FUNDRAISING for Team FIGHT! Only the race has changed, not the over all goal! <br /><br /><br /><i><b>My goal is $20,000.00 by November 1, 2013. Make a <a href="http://www.teamfight.org/donate2012/?kwoAdvocateId=3SR3EP7" target="_blank">donation</a> and join me in the FIGHT AGAINST CANCER - </b><b>IN HONOR AND SUPPORT of the CANCER to 5K Training Program and the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults. </b></i><br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.teamfight.org/donate2012/?kwoAdvocateId=3SR3EP7" target="_blank"><img alt="Click on this link and help me raise $20,000.00 for the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vX-MrxcI_pY/T76FlJKb-wI/AAAAAAAACKI/culaEslEXf8/s1600/Team+FIGHT+-+DONATE+button.jpg" title="Donation Link for $20,000.00 Ironman Challenge" /></a></div><b><br /></b>I was 34-years-old when I was diagnosed with Stage III Melanoma. To be in my mid-30s and diagnosed with cancer was shocking. Walk into an oncologist office and you are surrounded by fellow patients in their 50s, 60s, 70s and beyond.&nbsp; There is no organization as dear to my heart as the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults. The programs that they offer Young Adult Cancer Survivors and their families make a difference in the lives of those of us diagnosed in that middle age, "too young for cancer."&nbsp; This year, more than 70,000 young adults will be diagnosed with cancer in the United States. <br /><br />The Ulman Cancer Fund's goal is to enhance lives by supporting, educating and connecting young adults, and their loved ones, affected by cancer.<br /><br /><i><b>Join me in the FIGHT to raise $20,000.00 to support the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults</b></i> so we can keep amazing programs like Patient Navigation Services, One-on-One Cancer Support, CANCER to 5K, College Scholarship Programs and YACS going and growing strong!<br /><br /><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">NOTE: Not one dime from the money raise will go towards my actual participation in Ironman Florida 2013. It all goes to the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults!&nbsp;I am paying the costs for my travel, training,&nbsp;accommodations&nbsp;and race registration. There is no "fundraising minimum" of any kind except the one that I have determined - $20,000! My intentions are to raise awareness and money for thie amazing programs that the Ulman Cancer Fund brings to so many young adult survivors and their families. <a href="http://www.teamfight.org/donate2012/?kwoAdvocateId=3SR3EP7" target="_blank">So please GIVE GENEROUSLY and SHARE MY BLOG and FUNDRAISING PAGE</a> with everybody you know! Every Donation, no matter the amount Will Make A Difference!</span></b></i>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09681721665977312271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12531647.post-10517792889693731812012-09-04T15:20:00.003-07:002012-09-04T15:25:28.365-07:00Let's Start at the Very Beginning...<b><i>"Lets start at the very beginning,</i></b><br /><b><i>a very good place to start.</i></b><br /><b><i>When you read you begin with A_B_C</i></b><br /><b><i>When you RUN you begin with 1_2_3...</i></b><br /><br /><b><i>1_2_3... </i></b><br /><b><i><br /></i></b><b><i>The first three [miles] just happen to be 1_2_3"</i></b><br /><br />With apologies to my favorite musical "The Sound of Music" but the play on lyrics for this moment in my life are perfect.<br /><br />I have an mild ankle sprain. At least that is what my podiatrist says. I'm not a podiatrist <i>(and I don't play one on TV)</i> but a recent increase in new activities <span style="color: #351c75;">[Crossfit]</span> and the timing of a new pair of running shoes that are not working well with my orthotics <span style="color: #351c75;">[Brooks Ghosts 5 - <i>damn you Brooks for changing the shoe style again!</i>]</span> has resulted in my left foot/ankle being sore and weak... so I have had to agree something is up.&nbsp; Rx was lots of Aleive and two-weeks of Complete Rest. No Exercise that would involved running or walking or balancing on my feet, only walking as related to everyday activity and even that should be cut back. He wanted to put me in a soft cast or air boot. I admit it, I revolted against both but I have stuck to the exercise restrictions and kept my foot elevated.<br /><br /><span style="color: #351c75;"><i>Yeah, I know, at times I can be a crappy patient.</i></span><br /><br />It's been a week and I would say based on my pain level, I'm about 90% recovered. Just another week to go and I should be 100% again. And then what?<br /><br />There is never a good time to get injured. I have big plans looming ahead. January 2013 is GOOFY Weekend in Walt Disney World with some amazing family, friends and teammates. I'm looking at 3 days and 3 races: 5K (3.1 miles), Half Marathon (13.1) and a Full Marathon (26.2). Then I have 11 months to prepare for my next Ironman challenge. Ironman Florida in November 2013.<br /><br />So WHAT am I going to do?<br /><br />Well I have sat and really thought this through and I am going to do something that I don't usually do but I tell my friends and fellow teammates to do all the time. I am going to START at the VERY BEGINNING.<br /><br />During an orientation at Crossfit, <i><span style="color: #351c75;">[which I am going to have to take again, due to said foot pain...<sigh>]</sigh></span></i> they gave some excellent advice: "Leave your EGO at the Door."<br /><br /><span style="color: #351c75;"><i><b>LEAVE YOUR EGO AT THE DOOR! </b></i></span><br /><br />This means, in essence, put aside all that you have accomplished to this very point and accept that this is something new, that your not going to be perfect and that in order to stay safe and uninjured, you will need to work your way up through the new activities and exercise. Don't be ashamed to be a Beginner. <span style="color: #351c75;"><i>Hmmm... sounds familiar??!!</i></span><br /><br />So next week, when the DR clears me to exercise again. I am going to pull out my books and I am going to START at the VERY BEGINNING. I'm going to pull out my own CANCER to 5K training program and get started there. It's a good start, I know over 60 amazing Survivors who have used it to get their starts! And then in 4 weeks, I'll evaluate my running pace, endurance, my foot and my goals and course correct from there.<br /><br />If that means that I will walk 50% of the Goofy Challenge at 15-16:00 miles in order to keep myself from getting injured before leading into base Ironman training, so be it! There is no shame in walking and I will have plenty of company<i>.&nbsp;</i><br /><br /><span style="color: #351c75;"><i><b>There is no shame in Starting Over...EVER!</b></i></span><br /><br />Life is Good! LiveSTRONG!<br /><br />Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09681721665977312271noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12531647.post-88574305233050507562012-05-29T09:16:00.002-07:002012-05-29T09:18:35.370-07:00Getting Back to Basics...Again!<i><b>First of all THANK YOU to Zina LB. &amp; Ellie H. </b>for the donations towards my "$20,000.00 Ironman Lake Placid - Team FIGHT Challenge" in support of the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults! If <u>you</u> want to make a donation too - <a href="http://www.teamfight.org/donate2012/?kwoAdvocateId=3SR3EP7" target="_blank">CLICK HERE!</a></i><br /><br />This weekend was the first time, since mid January, that I found myself doing a Long Bike and Long Run workout back to back. Here is what my weekend looked like:<br /><br /><i><b>Saturday: 31 miles with Team MMS (local TRI team) and my husband Jim</b></i> - I was thrilled to average a 15mph average pace since I really thought that I would be looking at 13mph average, max. The course was moderately rolling hills and simply great company! There were a few times that I was pushing well outside of Zone 2 but I really just wanted to keep up with the group and not be the cyclist holding everybody back so I would say that most of the ride was in Zone 3-4. Not very efficient heart-rate training but it was my first Long Ride back and "ego" took over. (<i>I paid for that hubris...</i>)<br /><br /><i><b>Sunday: 1-hour of Run/Walk intervals (4 miles total)</b></i> on legs that felt more like "waterlogged driftwood." There was no making my body go any faster.&nbsp; I even gave myself a break and skipped every steep hill in my local running route. The goal was TIME and not DISTANCE but of course I was hoping to average closer to 12-13-minute miles as opposed to 15-minute miles.<br /><br />Monday: Rest Day<br /><br /><i><b>Tuesday (Today): I did my "Holly's Hilly H*ll 5K"</b></i> [* = e] route through the neighborhood across the street with 2/1 Run/Walk Intervals and it took me 50-minutes. There was some recovery from taking a rest day yesterday but not very much - I have done this 5K route faster in weeks past, but it was not meant to be today...ARG!!<br /><br />SLAP OF REALITY IN THE FACE!<br /><br />I am so out of condition and I have such a long, long road ahead over the next 14 months.&nbsp; I mean on paper, I already knew that I had a long road ahead, and I knew that I was really out of condition when it comes to my fitness but that was "on paper"...there was a part of me who was going along, happy, skippy, dumb singing <i style="color: blue;">"Nah, Nah, NahNah...I'm going to do another Ironman....Nah, Nah, NahNah...I have not been on my bike in six months...Nah, Nah, NahNah...I am 30 pounds heavier...Nah, Nah, NahNah...I ran/walked 2 Half Marathons this year so I'll be just fine."</i><br /><br />Let me tell you something: (<i>that some of you will undoubtedly already know</i>) there is such a thing as the hubris of "resting on your Ironman laurels..." and over the last 2.5 years I have definitely succumb to it. Did I have a hard year this past year? Yes, I will cut myself some slack for July 2011- Jan 2012 (<i>A period of time filled with a nasty case of Plantar Fasciatis, a week in the hospital with multiple pulmonary embolisms, 6-months on blood thinners, which meant 6 months off my bike</i>)<br /><br />HOWEVER...the place that I find myself now is cumulative. While many of my TRI friends have been taking a month or two off and then jumping back into the cycle of Swim/Bike/Run - I've spend the last 2.5 years dabbling in my sport. Holding onto just enough running fitness to be able to pull off a few Half Marathons - the motivation for which came solely from helping my wonderful friend Amanda reach her own goal of a first Half Marathon. (<i>Thank God for friends like Amanda or I would probably be hurting even more now than I do!)</i><br /><br />So I find myself in a place where truly, I must start over.&nbsp; Not quite from "scratch" but pretty darn close. There are two things that keep me upbeat and motivated [<i>despite the down tone of this post</i>] and those are:<br /><br />1.) I have the tools, the knowledge, and the love and support of my family and friends to get back my fitness, to regain a fit body, mind and soul...<br /><br />2.) This is so much easier than anything that I had to go through in 2005 &amp; 2006... (<i>Not very much is hard when you compare it to a year of Chemotherapy...</i>) This is so much easier than what many of my friends and teammates from <a href="http://cancerto5k.org/" target="_blank">CANCER to 5K</a> and the<a href="http://ulmanfund.org/" target="_blank"> Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults</a> have gone through...<br /><br />I may be slow right now but my "fitness" glass is still HALF FULL!<br /><br />Life is Good! LiveSTRONG! <br /><br />Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09681721665977312271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12531647.post-77309078330661268302012-05-24T12:06:00.000-07:002012-05-24T12:06:12.696-07:00CANCER CHANGES LIVES...AND SO CAN WE!The road to Ironman is L-O-N-G and it is also kind of a "selfish" endeavor. A lot of time spent dedicated to swimming, biking, running, resting and unless your family and friends are into the same sports, there is not much time for socializing.<br /><br />So with my second Ironman; I wanted to add something to my endeavor to change the nature of my Ironman experience. Ironman is BIG and so I wanted to do something BIG with it this time around. What I am doing is nothing "new", people all around me have done similar things, perhaps even bigger but this endeavor is "BIG" for me and so important to me, that it leaves me shaking in my shoes; just as my first Ironman did.<br /><br />I am feeling the same feelings of doubt and insecurity that I felt before <i>"Can I really do this?"</i> <i>"Have a I set a Goal that is over my head?"</i> ...but I have experience and passion on my side. And I have never been one to back away from a FIGHT that I believe in so very much...<br /><br />It is with pride and fear that I invite you all to join me on my road to Ironman Lake Placid 2013. I'll be spending the next 14 months training and blogging and doing just a little bit more...<br /><br />&nbsp;<b>My name is Holly Shoemaker, I am a Stage III Melanoma survivor and I TRI to FIGHT!</b> I am heading to Ironman Lake Placid in 2013 to represent Team FIGHT, The Ulman Cancer Fund and the CANCER to 5K program.<br /><br /><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">NOTE: Not one dime from the money raise will go towards my actual participation in Ironman Lake Placid 2013. It all goes to the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults!&nbsp;I am paying the costs for my travel, training,&nbsp;accommodations&nbsp;and race registration. There is no "fundraising minimum" of any kind except the one that I have determined - $20,000! My intentions are to raise awareness and money for thie amazing programs that the Ulman Cancer Fund brings to so many young adult survivors and their families. <a href="http://www.teamfight.org/donate2012/?kwoAdvocateId=3SR3EP7" target="_blank">So please GIVE GENEROUSLY and SHARE MY BLOG and FUNDRAISING PAGE</a> with everybody you know! Every Donation, no matter the amount Will Make A Difference!</span></b></i><br /><br /><i><b>My goal is $20,000.00 by July 26, 2013. (My 43rd birthday) Make a <a href="http://www.teamfight.org/donate2012/?kwoAdvocateId=3SR3EP7" target="_blank">donation</a> and join me in the FIGHT AGAINST CANCER - </b><b>IN HONOR AND SUPPORT of the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults.&nbsp;</b></i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.teamfight.org/donate2012/?kwoAdvocateId=3SR3EP7" target="_blank"><img alt="Click on this link and help me raise $20,000.00 for the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vX-MrxcI_pY/T76FlJKb-wI/AAAAAAAACKI/culaEslEXf8/s1600/Team+FIGHT+-+DONATE+button.jpg" title="Donation Link for $20,000.00 Ironman Challenge" /></a></div><b><br /></b><br /><br />I was 34-years-old when I was diagnosed with Stage III Melnoma. To be in my mid-30s and diagnosed with cancer was shocking. Walk into an oncologist office and you are surrounded by fellow patients in their 50s, 60s, 70s and beyond.&nbsp; I had nobody to turn to and nobody to relate to both as a young adult and as a runner/triathlete. Being a young adult with Cancer is a lonely place to be. Your either the oldest one in treatment; getting treatment in the Pediatric Oncology Unit (if your in your late teens/ early 20s) or your "too young" to have cancer and you must fight to make informed decisions with the goal of "long term survivor-ship" in mind. (in your 20s, 30s, 40s) The voice of young adult cancer survivors and their families needs to be recognized, heard and supported. This is where the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults makes a difference every day!<br /><br />There is no organization as dear to my heart as the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults. The programs that they offer Young Adult Cancer Survivors and their families make a difference in the lives of those of us diagnosed in that middle age, "too young for cancer."&nbsp; This year, more than 70,000 young adults will be diagnosed with cancer in the United States. <br /><br /><b><i>70,000 new diagnosed cancer survivors who deserve support, who deserve a voice.</i></b><br /><br />The Ulman Cancer Fund's goal is to enhance lives by supporting, educating and connecting young adults, and their loved ones, affected by cancer.<br /><br /><i><b>Join me in the FIGHT to raise $20,000.00 to support the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults</b></i> so we can keep amazing programs like Patient Navigation Services, One-on-One Cancer Support, CANCER to 5K, College Scholorship Programs and YACS going and growing strong!<br /><br />Thank you for your support, your <a href="http://www.teamfight.org/donate2012/?kwoAdvocateId=3SR3EP7" target="_blank">donations</a> and welcome along on the journey to my second Ironman - IN HONOR AND SUPPORT of the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults!<i><b><br /> <br />Life is Good! LiveSTRONG! </b></i>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09681721665977312271noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12531647.post-65479710857330383102012-02-14T08:33:00.002-08:002012-02-14T08:33:42.872-08:00Happy Cancer-versary to me!<i><b>7 years ago today,</b></i> I heard the words <b><i>"You have cancer"</i></b> over the phone as I sat at my office desk.<br /><br /><i><b>6 years ago today,</b></i> I was 8 months into a year of chemotherapy and so tired but also so grateful.<br /><br /><b><i>5 years ago today,</i></b> I was drafting my <a href="http://cancerto5k.org/c25k/" target="_blank">CANCER to 5K program</a> ideas into a proposal.<br /><br /><i><b>4 years ago today,</b></i> I was working with Coach Bob and recruiting for our first <a href="http://cancerto5k.org/c25k/" target="_blank">CT5K Spring Team</a>!<br /><br /><i><b>3 years ago today,</b></i> I was running my 5th Myrtle Beach Half Marathon (literally! It was on 2/14/09!)<br /><br /><i><b>2 years ago today,</b></i> the Ulman Cancer Fund was getting our second <a href="http://cancerto5k.org/c25k/" target="_blank">CT5K - Howard Country Team</a> underway and I celebrated a huge milestone as a Melanoma survivor - 5 years cancer free!<br /><br /><i><b>1 year ago today,</b></i>&nbsp; I was preparing for a move from DC to Alabama and wondering what surprises life had in store for me next...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>TODAY, I am officially a 7-year Stage III Melanoma Survivor!</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oF4Q3Hp0b24/TzqL-ulA8-I/AAAAAAAACI8/tw7vsG8rRBE/s1600/Holly_STRONG.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oF4Q3Hp0b24/TzqL-ulA8-I/AAAAAAAACI8/tw7vsG8rRBE/s1600/Holly_STRONG.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Today is a good day indeed!</b></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b>I hope you never forget that Life is Good, </b></i><b>LiveSTRONG!</b></div>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09681721665977312271noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12531647.post-57951145698979396032012-01-09T19:35:00.000-08:002012-01-09T19:35:24.406-08:00Race Report: 2012 MS BLUE Half Marathon<b>MS BLUES Half Marathon</b><br /><b>January 6, 2012 - Jackson, MS</b><br /><b>2012 Chip Time: 3:14:13</b><br />(2011 Finish: 3:04:07)<br /><br />Well this race is fast becoming one of my favorite hilly half marathons and one of these days, I'll actually have an uneventful late summer/early fall and actually run the full Marathon distance on this course. Maybe...<br /><br />So this time my attempt to train for the full Marathon was pushed aside by a week in the hospital due to multiple pulmonary emboli in late August. Of course, instead of considering doing nothing at all, I simply switched from the full Marathon to a Half Marathon training plan. <i>(I've let very little get in the way of races over the years, ya know...)</i> It helped that my friend <a href="http://start-run-finish.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Amanda</a> wanted to train for her first Half Marathon in February and asked me to join her for her race. Now I had an enthusiastic training partner for long runs every weekend and an early season goal race to get the year started right.<br /><br />Now there were two "unknowns" going into this race day:<br /><br />1.) How fast could I run this race, considering that all my "long run" training has been about 2-minutes per mile slower than my average "long run" pace?<br /><br />2.) How much of an impact is being 15 pounds heavier going to have on my pace, in general?<br /><br />and I got my answers...<br /><br />1.) As fast as I expected and 2.) jury is still out this but I will conceed that, <i>of course</i>, losing weight will make me faster, in the long term.<br /><br /><u>Race Summary:</u><br /><br />I was high on optimism that I could run this hilly half marathon at exactly the pace that I ran it last year. (<i>3:04:17</i>) and I nearly did.&nbsp; The first 9 miles I was on pace for my goal and having absolutely no problems with my nutrition and energy. The next 5 miles, were another story all together. Heading into Mile 10, my pace was beginning to slow but my spirits were high. My left arch started aching with every stride.&nbsp; I walk a little bit, stopping to loosen up my left shoelace and that seem to ease the problem. I did a little "self talk" and told myself <i>"That was my bad mile, every race has a bad mile...Keep pushing" </i>and picked up the pace - stopping briefly for a port-o-potty break.<br /><br />Things improved until midway through Mile 11 when my right hip decided, "<i>I have had enough!</i>" and cramped up nice and tight on me. I took an extra minute to try to walk it out on my next walk break but it seemed every attempt to begin running brought on another round of cramps. My IT band was not happy and I think it was contributing to some hip cramping. It was at this point that I let go of my "Finish Time" goal and just focused on simply getting to the Finish Line. It took me until Mile 12 to figure out that if I really slowed my pace down, I could at least "jog" a little bit for 4 minutes at a time.&nbsp; I wont lie, it really pissed me off that I could not catch the "walkers" who were less than 200 yards in front of me, even when I was "jogging" for 4-minutes at a time but I just kept on moving toward that finish line.<br /><br />The TREAT for this race was having the pleasure to cheer on my friend Christine Rocky, whom I met through my sister <a href="http://www.runfastermommy.com/" target="_blank">Heather</a>, as she took 2nd Place Overall for the Women's Marathon!&nbsp; She passed me in the last 300 yards and once again I marveled at just how FAST other people can run. Christine finished 26.2 miles in 3:13:31...13.1 miles and 1-minute ahead of me.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ON42TwT4j9M/Twuvd2HT8MI/AAAAAAAACHs/l1qbJC9j9Cs/s1600/400186_2850979149025_1095870781_3084544_1211848326_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ON42TwT4j9M/Twuvd2HT8MI/AAAAAAAACHs/l1qbJC9j9Cs/s320/400186_2850979149025_1095870781_3084544_1211848326_n.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the finish line with Christine!</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Am I disappointed in this race result?<br /><br />Actually the answer is NO. (<i>realizing that surprised me too!</i>) All things considered, it was a beautiful day on a hilly challenging course and up until I had some physical pain, I was running exactly the pace that I imagined myself currently capable of.&nbsp; It's not my best Half Marathon performance by far (<i>my PR for the Half Distance is 2005 Myrtle Beach at 2:42</i>) but I came away from this race knowing that I controlled what I could (<i>my pace early on</i>), accepted what I could not control (<i>hip cramps</i>) and push through to finish what I started.<br /><br />Mentally, I had my "Race Face" on and never let the negative thoughts take up more than a moment's time before I put them away and got back to the task at hand. That is a far, far cry from the triathlete that I was back in January 2009. I can say without a doubt that my year of Ironman distance training and racing changed me as an athlete, for the better. I am not afraid to push and I am able to shut down the negative voices in my head, that knowledge/ability is <i>"PR worthy"</i> and the time will come when I can put that together with some speed and have an amazing race day.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ue61SXJkDz8/Twuvni9pdtI/AAAAAAAACH0/b6Oyml93hi0/s1600/408742_2851108832267_1095870781_3084609_1081222825_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ue61SXJkDz8/Twuvni9pdtI/AAAAAAAACH0/b6Oyml93hi0/s320/408742_2851108832267_1095870781_3084609_1081222825_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This Finisher's Medal made the last 2 miles seem less sucky! LOL</td></tr></tbody></table><br />For now, though, I am content.&nbsp; It is just the first week of January 2012 and I already a Half Marathon in the books!<br /><br />Life is GOOD! Live<b>STRONG!</b>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09681721665977312271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12531647.post-45702673343401064872011-12-21T18:16:00.000-08:002011-12-21T18:17:00.066-08:00Merry Christmas!I don't expect to be posting much in the next few days so I want to wish you all a VERY HAPPY HANUKKAH and MERRY CHRISTMAS!<br /><br />Life is Good! LiveSTRONG! <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H89I_I0aY8A/TvKSwiCIeDI/AAAAAAAACHA/Q0aLBj5h5sY/s1600/2011_XMAS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H89I_I0aY8A/TvKSwiCIeDI/AAAAAAAACHA/Q0aLBj5h5sY/s400/2011_XMAS.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09681721665977312271noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12531647.post-70245152841544743292011-12-11T12:23:00.000-08:002011-12-11T12:57:41.637-08:00Race Report: 12Ks of Christmas - Wetumpka, AL<b>12Ks of Christmas (and 5K too) - Wetumpka, AL</b><br /><b>Saturday, Dec 10, 2011</b><br /><b>Overall Time: 1:47:00 - Average Pace: 15:20 min/mile</b><br /><i>(course was short by .5 miles)</i><br /><i><br /></i><br /><i>For another perspective on this race, you'll nee to go to my friend Amanda's Blog <a href="http://start-run-finish.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Start.Run.Finish</a> - I promise you it is worth it to read her report too! LOL</i><br /><br />To begin, I was really happy to know that there was a local event, close to my new home, that I could make my Holiday Run tradition since I am missing the Jingle All The Way 10K in Washington, D.C. this weekend.&nbsp; And this 12K event did not disappoint - it was a challenging, somewhat hilly course that ran though the downtown/main street area of Wetumpka, AL - over the Coosada River&nbsp; - through local neighborhoods and then back over the Coosada River again and along the river though a pretty park to the Finish Line.<br /><br />My role on this day was to be the Race SHERPA for my friend Amanda and support her as she ran her longest run to date. Prior to this, her longest run was 10K (6.2 miles) a fact that I had conveniently forgotten. (<i>making for funny moments later in the race</i>) So my job for this race: to stay with Amanda, at her pace, for the full 12K; to be keeper of the Mile splits while she was keeper of the 2/1 Run/Walk Intervals; and to keep her moving and motivated to the very end.<br /><br />The race was small, only about 100 runners and started with a run down Main Street and up a large hill (out and back) and then across the main Bridge over the Coosada River. Amanda started out a little fast, pressured internally to keep up with the group of runners. I kept my eye on the first Mile split and gently told her we covered the first mile and not to worry about the pace ahead of us. I don't think she heard me, at all, because she was busy saying "OMG, would you look at that hill?" My immediate response was "It looks worse than it is - don't you think about it - 'short and quick' at your own pace and we will get to the top." (short steps / quick turnover) I sang/chattered our way up the hill <i>"Come on Ride the Train, Ride it - I think I can, I think I can"</i> and we made up and over the top to the turn around and then WHHHEEEE, downhill we went.<br /><br />That climb in the first 2 miles of the race took it's toll on Amanda - she was already sneaking peaks at her watch - looking to see when her "2-minute" run would be over.&nbsp; I wrote it off as a hard beginning effort (which it was) and just kept the chatter up, reminding her that she's not usually feeling good until about Mile 3 so just hang in there.<br /><br />After crossing the Bridge with a beautiful view and telling Amanda we could do our Photo Op on the way back toward the finish line - the time had come for us to split off from the 5K runners.&nbsp; The 5K folks went straight and we went right. That is when we dropped the rest of the "Back of the Pack-ers" who were all doing 5K and became the official "Back of the Pack" and picked up our Golf Cart escorts for the remaining 9K of the course. I had told Amanda not to worry about the "Golf Cart" - that I had talked to the race director prior to the race to ask about a cuttoff and they said not to worry because they would keep the finish line up until everybody who started finished - and she really didn't seem pressured by the escort at all. In fact it was great! We had somebody watching out for us at every intersections and plenty of warning for every turn. (<i>of which there were many!</i>)<br /><br />Mile 3 passed and we took in our first nutrition - some GU Chomps for me and a GU for Amanda. Amanda was eating this GU like it was some dainty little treat - while I was thinking <i>"Um, you have to eat this and get water in a minute before our next run interval"</i> - and out of my mouth came the following:&nbsp; <b>"Hey, GU is not a SNACK! We got a run interval coming up, eat it and get some water." </b>The startled look on Amanda's face made me giggle and made me realize I sounded like a Drill Sargent. We both got a good laugh out of that.<br /><br />Mile 4 came and I was encouraging and cheerful, "Half Way Done!" but Amanda was starting to feel the miles and was not saying much nor looking like she was having much fun. Her pace while running was staying steady but she was slowing down on her walk intervals. I kept up my chatter, asking her if she wanted to me to talk more or be quiet for a while.&nbsp; Her response was "I don't know" so I continued to chatter away - finding songs to sing and stories to tell to make the miles pass.<br /><br />Mile 5 was a hard mile for Amanda, she was pretty much silent except when I would ask her direct questions. I was trying to gauge her effort and I was getting quiet, one word answers and she mentioned she felt "a little sick." I told her that she might want to go easier on the water, that I noticed that she was taking drinks of water at every walk break. She looked up at me in a bit of a daze and said "Oh, yeah, I guess I am - that explains why my tummy feels sloshy" and from that point on, she only drank a bit at Mile 6 when I ordered her to "eat 4 GU chomps." I was hoping that this would perk her up for the final 1.5 mile effort. Amanda did as I advised and only later told me that she really didn't want to eat 4 GU Chomps, only 2 but she didn't feel like complaining and just ate all 4 as she had been told.<br /><br />Mile 6, it seemed to me that Amanda really rallied back - she did have one goofy moment when mentioned she was worried that we would hold up the Christmas Parade - which I reminded her was not until 3PM (<i>It was only 10:30AM, LOL</i>) but her spirits lifted as we rounded a corner and saw the Bridge over the Coosada River just ahead. The Bridge meant less than 1-mile to go and the promised Photo Op - she seemed in wonderful spirits to me and I was excited that we were close to being done!<br /><br />We stopped for our picture mid-way across the Bridge and then we exited the Bridge and the course turned Right down an back ally and Amanda stopped in her tracks, in complete disbelief and dismay&nbsp; and said:<br /><br /><i><b>WHAT?!?</b></i><br /><br />Turns out that she had it in her head that we were headed back to the finish line via Main Street. She was thinking "Three or Four Blocks and I am Done" and that right turn away from Main Street and the Finish Line was not at all in her mind. At this point, I watched as my friend and running partner's virtual <i>"wheels fell off"</i> and her motivation just flew right out the window. She was tired (<i>rightfully so</i>) and kind of queasy and here we were taking another detour / another turn away from the Finish Line. I rallied around her as much as I could, "Amanda - you are doing great!&nbsp; Your OK, we have got this in the bag, You have DONE this distance before, you can do it again!<br /><br /><i>Okay, so I forgot, she had not done this distance yet, we were supposed to do it the week before but a bout of dizziness cut the long run short and I ordered her to go home and rest up. So while in my head, 7-miles had come and gone on the running schedule, I HAD COMPLETELY FORGOT THAT WE DIDN'T ACTUALLY RUN IT.&nbsp; D'OH!!</i><br /><br />Bless Amanda's heart because she never said a word about that while we were running, she just kept trying to put on foot in front of the other down the shaded park trail. (<i>it really was a beautiful spot to run - reminded me of running along the Potomac in DC</i>)&nbsp; Sadly, Amanda was seeing nothing beautiful about the park, just so much further to go - and she said the words that I do not abide...Amanda looked at me, when our Run interval started and said loudly "Holly, I Can't."<br /><br />Oh my, did this get me all riled up - here we are less than 1-mile from the finish line - I can see the parking lot that leads uphill to the finish line from where we are on the trail - and my friend who has been working hard since August, slowly adding miles to her running, just told me "I Can't."<br /><br />"Don't you dare tell me that you "CANT", because you CAN and you ARE!" and I took Amanda's hand in mine and said "Come on, Amanda, just keep walking, keep moving forward...look ahead, see we just have a little more trail and then we run passed your car through the parking lot and at the top of the hill is our Finish Line"<br /><br />The beep when off, telling us to run and, still holding her hand, I said "Come On Amanda, try - I know you can do this, I wont let you quit" again, I heard <i>"Holly...."</i><br /><br />but this time is was followed by a soft voice "<i>....Thank You."</i><br /><br />Nothing more was said for about 4 minutes, Amanda just picked up her feet and did her best to run those intervals and recovered on her walk and then there we were, on last hill and she said it again, "I don't think I can, really Holly, I don't" and I roared (<i>at least I felt like I roared</i>) "Come ON, I can see the Finish Line, YOU CAN DO THIS, I PROMISE" and I'll be damned if she didn't just pick her head up and say "OK" and run up that hill. As we topped the hill, the Volunteers and many racers who were still around let up a rousing cheer and I grabbed Amanda's hand and we crossed that finish line!<br /><br />And then she wrenched her hand out of mine and put it over her mouth - I thought she was going to cry - but she turn a full 180 degree circle and stuck her head in the nearest trash can and threw up all that extra water and the GU Chomps that had been sitting in her stomach for the last mile. TWICE.<br /><br />And immediately, felt 100% better...<br /><br />So many people came up to us, after she was done, congratulating her on her race - telling her how she is not alone, that they have all had races where they threw up after the finish line - congratulating her on pushing that hard at the end of her race - leaving it all out there. (literally!) I could not have been more thankful that fellow runners approached Amanda and congratulated and commiserated with her. That act alone did more to let her know that she was one of the tribe - a runner - than anything I could ever say or do.<br /><br />I have no regrets that I was so hard on Amanda in what would be the last half mile - I know her long terms running goals and I know that the "Voices in our Heads" are powerful and hard to ignore. In that moment she did not need a friend who would say "OK, let's just walk", she needed a friend to say "You are stronger than you know, now MOVE!" <br /><br />Of course, I have promised her that the next time she says she feels like she might have to throw up, I will believe her...but hopefully we can get her nutrition right so that won't happen again.<br /><br />CONGRATULATIONS AMANDA!&nbsp; You ROCK!<br /><br />Life is Good! LiveSTRONG!Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09681721665977312271noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12531647.post-52526028479306803402011-12-05T19:46:00.000-08:002011-12-05T19:46:41.625-08:00Oh where has the time gone?Time is flying by and I have kept busy since my last few posts and am doing much better! Building new friendships and getting back into running and helping new friends get into running! My outdoor cycling will have to wait until I am off the blood thinners but Jim and I are making plans for some great rides in the coming year!<br /><br />My goal for 2012: <a href="http://playhardeatsmart.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">"Play Hard, Eat Smart" </a>starts today! You can follow along here, if you want to support me. I'm going to spend some time getting back to basics and getting my body back into excellent shape for my next Ironman. This new blog will deal primarily with my ongoing struggle to lose some extra weight I have gained and find some balance in how it relates to my training so it will be a little different from TRI and BE HAPPY, which I plan to keep up with as well. I am continuing to work closely with the Ulman Cancer Fund and keep the <a href="http://www.cancerto5k.org/" target="_blank">CANCER to 5K program</a> going strong! 2013 will be a return to Ironman Lake Placid to take my revenge (if WTC and Lake Placid are still having an Ironman, of course) otherwise I will choose another Ironman-distance event to race.<br /><br /><u> Quick Summary:</u><br /><br />• Oct 1 - Ran the Montgomery 5K with my friend Amanda - her first 5K and part of the Montgomery Half Marathon Festival: 46:28<br /><br />• Nov 1: Accepted a job as the Volunteer Coordinator for <a href="http://www.joytolife.org/" target="_blank">The Joy to Life Foundation</a>! (Yahoo, I have a new job!!!)<br /><br />• Nov 4 - Ran part of the Battleship Half Marathon as a BRIDESMAID! Yep, a Bridesmaid for my wonderful friend Ron and Shawn who got married at the 3-mile point on the race course!&nbsp; So proud and honored to be included in their special day!<br /><br />• Nov 19: Turkey Burner 5K with my friend Amanda: 47:53<br /><br /><u>Looking Ahead: </u><br /><br />• 12K of Christmas Run - Dec 12th<br /><br />• MS Blues Half Marathon - Jan 7, 2012<br />• Mercedes - Birmingham Half Marathon - Feb 12, 2012<br />• Myrtle Beach Half Marathon - Feb 17, 2012<br />• Centerpoint Half Marathon - Mar 17, 2012<br />• 3 Gap Fifty (Bike Ride) - Georgia - Sept 26, 2012<br />• NYC Marathon (**very tentative**) - Nov 2012<br />• GOOFY Challenge - Disney World - Jan 2013<br />• Ironman 2013 - IM Lake Placid!<br /><br />Have no fear, I'll am returning to my regularly schedule Race Reports and Blogging because I miss it!<br /><br />Life is GOOD! LiveSTRONG!Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09681721665977312271noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12531647.post-3190821972674349552011-10-18T07:43:00.000-07:002011-10-18T07:43:19.149-07:00Wish Upon A Star...<b><i><span style="color: blue;">"When you wish upon a star</span><br style="color: blue;" /><span style="color: blue;">Makes no difference who you are</span><br style="color: blue;" /><span style="color: blue;">Anything your heart desires</span><br style="color: blue;" /><span style="color: blue;">Will come to you" </span></i></b><br /><br />We sat on the outside deck of our own personal Disney Treehouse when my 5-year old Nephew said to me "Look Aunt Holly, the Stars..." and I thought "Make a Wish..." As cool as the stars were, they were no match for the Glow Stick Swords that he and I were using to play Pirate so the "Pirate Games" resumed.<br /><br />Dashing around the darkened bedroom, just the two of us, fighting crocodiles under the bed and being jedi knights on top of the bed...this is what I will remember the most about our recent trip to Disney World.<br /><br />There is decades of life experience between 5-years old and 41-years old but all it takes is some imagination (Thank you Figment!) and a few advil (can't move as quickly now as I did at 5-years old) and you can be a swash-buckling pirate, a jedi knight - and if your memory is good enough - you can even play "Dudly Do-Right" and introduce your two Nephews and two younger Sisters to the reasons why "You Must Pay the Rent / I Can't Pay the Rent" with a glow in the dark mustache/hair bow. (obscure Bullwinkle reference for the other "old" kids out there...)<br /><br /><b style="color: blue;"><i>"If your heart is in your dream<br />No request is too extreme<br />When you wish upon a star<br />As dreamers do" </i></b><br /><br /><br />There have been some big changes in my both my Nephews and Sister's life since this trip to Disney World - changes that happened almost immediately upon returning. I am proud of my family for rallying around them, in their time of need. For all the ups and downs that come from being in a big family, my Parents instilled in us the love and compassion for one another that allows us all (Parents and Sisters alike) to do whatever it takes to help the people we love. My husband, too, showed me once again, what a compassionate, smart, amazing man I have married.<br /><br />I am proud of my Sister, for having the courage to make some tough decisions under the most heart-breaking of circumstances. The timing was incredibly unfair but she put aside her own needs to protect herself and her boys and her friends have rallied, sprinkling her with love and pixie dust and support. The path she finds herself on now has a few extra twists and turns, a few more challenges to overcome, on the road to her dreams but my Sister is one tough momma!&nbsp; I know she will come out on top...<br /><br /><b><i style="color: blue;">"Like a bolt out of the blue<br />Fate steps in and sees you through<br />When you wish upon a star<br />Your dreams come true"</i></b><br /><br />The last three weeks have been a whirlwind and it is a good reminder to me that the Family you build around you (not necessarily always biological family) needs to be strong, flexible and full of love and compassion&nbsp; - because we never know when we might need "a safe place to land" when life throws us a curve...and it never hurts to "Wish upon a star..." because we can all use some pixie dust to lift us up and help us remember how wonderful it feels to be able to fly.Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09681721665977312271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12531647.post-29519943428469582112011-09-24T19:26:00.000-07:002011-09-24T19:26:01.098-07:00The Happiest Place on Earth...First off, THANK YOU to everybody who has reached out to me both on-line and off-line with words of support and comfort or to share your own experiences dealing with depression to let me know that I am not alone.&nbsp; I appreciate it very much.<br /><br />Just the act of acknowledging and writing about my feelings took away some of the pain and released some of the anxiety. I know that it is going to take some time and effort to break the cycle of comfort eating and find ways to manage my emotions and work through them. I'm feeling like it is not such an "impossible task" right now and that is a welcome feeling.<br /><br />But first, I have the pleasure of being able to spend the next week with my immediate family in "the happiest place on earth" aka Walt Disney World.&nbsp; I get to enjoy the wonder of the Magic Kingdom through the eyes of my nephews for their first time...I get to spend time with my parents, sisters, husband and brother-in-law...I get to celebrate my Mom's 60th Birthday (belated) and one of my Nephew's 5th Birthday...and there is no place that I would rather be right now than with my family that loves me, unconditionally.<br /><br />I'm going to Disney World to relax, to laugh, to get sprinkled in Pixie Dust and find a little JOY...it wont be hard to find, especially with my family by my side.<br /><br />Today, Life is GOOD. LiveSTRONG!Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09681721665977312271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12531647.post-38231861423303208852011-09-22T12:55:00.000-07:002011-09-22T12:55:55.947-07:00Silence is NOT Golden...One of the first things I ever told my boyfriend (now husband) Jim was that the biggest indicator of "trouble" brewing in my life would be "Silence."<br /><br />I am, by nature, an extrovert - I thrive on being around other people, I can (and will) talk until it is time to sleep and I am a loud talker, especially when happy or excited or telling you something important. I've heard "take it down a decibel" since I was 4-years old but it still doesn't really impact my enthusiasm - just the volume. My idea of recharging is being with people...listening, talking, sharing. I don't stop talking, ever. Some might think I am crazy, but I talk to myself a bit. (but not usually out loud) I think if I ever stopped talking, I'd probably run faster than I ever have in my life...LOL...but what fun would that be? I'd rather SING to my Teammates while running than have a PR, most days.<br /><br />Silence is the first indicator that Depression is lurking by my side and as Depression sinks in and makes itself at home, my conversations become basics "I'm fine, everything is good, nothing much going on here...Tell me about you..." Redirect the conversation, because "Nobody wants to hear that your not doing great." at least that is what Depression whispers in my ear.<br /><br />So I don't Blog and I barely Email and I only post "updates" on good days or for times when I know that I can't completely Drop Out, times when I know that I need to rise above and be present and accounted for.<br /><br />It is ironic - that the people/things that will distance me from the influence of Depression -&nbsp; my Friends, Family, Teammates, CANCER to 5K - are exactly the people/things that I feel compelled to avoid because I don't want to burden the people I care about with my problems. So I keep Silent and Depression puts its arms around my shoulder and whispers in my ear...and tell me that I can sooth myself with my other old friend, Food.<br /><br />Food and Depression, they are best friends and they will work together to lift you up with "comfort" and then drop you on your ass as you gain back the weight you worked so hard to lose - no matter how many miles you put in on the bike, on the road, in the pool. Doesn't matter that you were an Ironman just 24 months ago...your body can only do so much with the extra weight it carries.&nbsp; So your workouts suffer, you injure easier than before so you have to exercise less but your eating more - staying Silent by keeping your mouth Full.<br /><br />I've had years of therapy for eating disorder, that I am proud of. I needed help and I asked for it, sought it out. I know the signs and signals and have been taught how to catch myself before it get's too bad - at least I thought I knew - but this time - well even I have to admit to my surprise at just how sneaky Depression can be. I have been staying Silent while keeping my mouth full for 5 months now and I need to break that silence - as much as it pains me to reach out and admit that.&nbsp; So here I am blogging - not to seek sympathy but to express freely, my struggles at the moment.<br /><br />• We moved - an exciting time, for sure! But I was not prepared to be out of work this long and therefor not meeting new people as quickly as you normally do in a new work environment. And truthfully, Facebook and Email are no substitute for real people. I have been very slowly making friends - quality, not quantity - and I am thankful for that but I'm still trying to figure out how to mange my days during the week when Jim is at work and I am home alone. (and everybody else, here and away, are at work) I'm lonely when my husband is not home and then feel guilty that I need so much of his time and attention when he does finally get home but he is often the only person that I will "see" all day.<br /><br />• I got injured (plantars fasciitis) while training for my Summer races - which changed my workout focus slightly - my volume has had to come way down from what I usually do and with that has come a hesitancy to seek out TRI people to work out with, "since they are all too fast for me anyways.."<br /><br />• I'm the heaviest weight that I have been in 5 years - and I honestly never thought I would let myself get this heavy again - and while I know it is "just a number on the scale and does not define my self-worth" the extra weight has had a physical impact on my swimming, biking, running and overall health and self-esteem. I feel much better 50-pounds lighter than I am today but I get emotionally exhausted thinking about how hard it is going to be to lose this weight and I think that is Depression whispering more lies in my ear...<br /><br /><br />• By a completely unexpected series of events (birth control/hormones and a cross-country flight), I ended up in the hospital for 5 days with multiple pulmonary emboli in both lungs. I just thought I was suffering some anemia - having trouble breathing while running - and it turns out that I was in danger of losing my life if I threw a blood clot.&nbsp; I felt that way for 10-days before I went to a DR.&nbsp; I ran for 10-days with blood clots building in my lungs - so I know in my "heart" that somebody was watching over me but it scared me and Jim.<br /><br />• I am now on blood thinners (Coumadin) for the next 9-months, seem to be suffering the rare side effect of "hair loss" and am subsequently "banned" from riding my bike outside for the next 9-months. (The risk of falling is too high) - It's OK, I can run, I can swim, I can do other activities - I can even buy a wig if the hair thinning doesn't stop (as the DR seems convinced it will) but I'm still wrapping my head around this latest medical drama. I am so done with Medical Drama in general, in case any higher powers are listening...<br /><br />So, this is where I am at...and this is why many of you have not heard much from me.&nbsp; I am not proud of the lack of communication but I know that before I can shake Depression off my back, before I can quiet its voice in my ear, in order to stop the cycle of comfort eating...I have to start TALKING and let my own voice, thoughts, feelings and emotions fill my head, my heart and my mouth and slowly, one day at a time...Life will be GOOD everyday.<br /><br />Now to hit PUBLISH before I chicken out...Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09681721665977312271noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12531647.post-91863920675033627192011-07-24T14:16:00.000-07:002011-07-24T14:16:40.439-07:00RR: 2011 Vineman 70.3 Half Ironman<b>July 17, 2011 <br />Vineman 70.3 Half Ironman</b><br /><b>S:1.2 m - B: 56m - R:13.1m </b><br /><br /><u><b>OVERALL:&nbsp; DNF</b></u><br />Swim: 58:16<br />T1: 8:08<br />Bike: 4:49:91<br />T2/Run: DNF due to injury<br /><br />DNF: Acronym used in racing terms to indicate "Did Not Finish" sometimes also defined as "Do Nothing Foolish" by athletes dependent on the situation/opinion of those invoking the phrase/acronym at hand.<br /><br />On the anniversary of my most personally devastating DNF (<a href="http://triandbehappy.blogspot.com/2009/07/ironman-usa-race-report.html">IM USA - July 2009</a>), I find it ironic that I am writing another race report for a race where I willinging started the Race Day knowing that I would DNF "on purpose." You can ask my BFF on TFF (Team Fishy Fish), Keri H. and she'll tell you, I went back and forth about 15 times in less than 1-week debating the merits of "DNFing Vineman after the Bike" or "Going ahead and trying the Run" and in the end, on race morning I decided that I would stick to my original decision and "DNF after the Bike."<br /><br />What would make anybody choose to "QUIT" on Race Day? Oh there is any number of things, it can be physical, emotional, mechanical...for me it was a injury 4 weeks ago, Plantars Fascitis in my right foot.&nbsp; Instead of training for the last 3 weeks leading up to Vineman, I was in an air boot to keep pressure off my right foot and taking NSAIDS and Rx steroids to counter swelling and encourage healing. One week after my injury - at 80% healed, my DR gave me a shot of cortisone in my right foot and told me that if the healing continued, I was cleared to train and race with running to be done "as pain allowed."&nbsp; Two weeks post-injury, I was able to stop wearing the air cast and switch to a night splint (to wear while sleeping) and cleared to start swimming and stationary biking. Three weeks post-injury, we were on our way to California for the race and two easy walk/run workouts earlier in the week had told me all I needed to know...while I could walk with very little pain, running was still too much and running 13.1 miles might leave me on the injured list again.&nbsp; For me, DNF would mean "Do Nothing Foolish" and be I should be thankful that I could even start the Race.<br /><br />So Jim and I packed up and headed out on our first trip to the West Coast to spend 10 days on a TRI-vacation.&nbsp; The first 7 days we would spend in Guerneville, CA with good friends (from VA) Keri and Greg - vacationing and Vineman-ing and the last 3 days we would spend in Encondido, CA with my college roommate Sandy and her husband Steve. We arrived in Sonoma Valley on Wednesday and spent Thursday and Friday sightseeing and wine tasting with Keri &amp; Greg.&nbsp; Keri and I got in a quick 30-minute swim at Johnson's Beach on Friday morning, put our bike together and on Saturday morning took a long drive to scout the Bike Course on our way to Vineman packet pick-up.&nbsp; We all agreed, husbands and wives alike, that the Vineman 70.3 Bike Course was "character building" (aka. HILLY).&nbsp; Since Vineman 70.3 is a "point-to-point" race with two separate Transition areas - on Saturday we were required to drop off any transition items for T2 at Windsor High School (location of the Bike End / Run / Finish Line).&nbsp; I dropped off my most comfortable pair of running shoes - certain that I would not be running on race day but that I would want a change of shoes post-bike. <i>(because NOBODY chooses to walk around in Bike Shoe off the bike...) </i>I also put my visor, and 3 GUs in my shoes - "just in case I had the most incredible day ever" and decided at the last minute that I wanted to try and run. afterall..."<br /><br /><b><u>Pre-Race: Saturday Quick Brick - 10-20-10</u></b><br />Saturday morning, Keri and I got in our final mini-brick workout - a chance to make sure that everything was OK with our bikes and to get the butterflies under control.&nbsp; We did a 10-minute wetsuit swim, which helped me determine that I would not wear a wetsuit on race morning. We followed that up with a lovely 20-minute bike ride from Johnson's Beach on Armstrong Rd and back and then a short 10-minute run.&nbsp; This was the "final test" for me.&nbsp; If there was "No Pain" in my right foot on the short Run brick (1/1- Run/Walk Intervals) than I promised myself I would try to start the run on Race Day.&nbsp; Sadly it only took about 6 minutes for the subtle pain to start in my heel. It was manageable pain&nbsp; and went away almost immediately within an hour of the workout but I tried to imagine that pain times 13.1 miles, after a hilly 56-mile bike, and realized that I wanted to be able to "walk" on my right foot for the remainder of our vacation (another week after race day...) more than I wanted a Finisher Medal.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--usGWOmlOw0/TiyG7KuEB2I/AAAAAAAACFc/YpyItn7F08Y/s1600/CALI-102.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--usGWOmlOw0/TiyG7KuEB2I/AAAAAAAACFc/YpyItn7F08Y/s320/CALI-102.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;<span style="font-size: x-small;">Keri &amp; Holly - Johnson's Beach Pre-Race BRICK</span></div><br />Sunday Morning came quickly and Keri and I rode our bike the quick 2-miles to Johnson's Beach at 7AM.&nbsp; Since the race director kept transition open during all waves, we didn't have to be at the beach at O'Dark-Thrity so we were happy to sleep in but sad to miss the PRO start but as luck would have it, the PROs were just getting on their bikes at 7AM so we were able cheer them on as we rode to transition.&nbsp; We got to Transition, got marked, set up our bikes - gave each other hugs - I made Keri promise me she would say "Hi!" to me when she passed me on the bike (Keri's wave would start 24-minutes after mine) and we waited for my Wave Start.&nbsp; As we stood watching the Wave starts, I turned around to notice a short handsome guy behind us in a yellow "MGD 64" shirt and realized - "That's Gabe from TRI-DRS!" and immediately walked up to Gabe, introduced myself, gave him a hug and wished him luck on his race day! It was time to start the day!<br /><br /><b><u>Vineman SWIM: 1.2m&nbsp; - 58:16</u></b><br /><br />I chose to do the Vineman swim without a wetsuit, despite the fact that wetsuits were allowed.&nbsp; This was my first 1.2m swim without a wetsuit and my time reflects that. The truth is that because I have gained about 40 pounds, since 2009, my wetsuit didn't fit properly and was too tight, limiting my stroke considerably. Since Keri and I had done a non-wetsuit swim in the Russian River on Friday, I knew that the water temperature (74F) was fine for non-wetsuit swim - not too cold - and I figured what I lost in time I could make up for in overall energy. It was the right call for me.&nbsp;<br /><br />I started in Wave 9 - Women 40-45 and at the start I got caught up in the classic "wave start washing machine" of hands and feet. It took about 200 yards to get clear of all the extra hands and feet and then I found some clear water and was able to settle into my slow but steady pace.<br /><br />My swim felt effortless all the way up the to turn buoy, which is a first in a half ironman swim. The course follows the Russian River so you could never "see" the turn buoy - it was always just around the next corner.&nbsp; I knew I was getting close when I looked up to sight and saw other athletes around me WALKING in the water to the turn buoy. The Russian River got pretty shallow in some places (and was never any deeper than 6 ft according to the race information) and soon enough I was scraping my hands and knees on the pebbley bottom of the river when I would look up to sight.&nbsp; Resigned, I stood up and walked around the turn buoy with the masses (mostly the white cap men's wave that started 8 minute after me) and went back to swimming as soon as I the water was knee deep even though there were still a few people walking around me.<br /><br />The second half of the swim didn't seem to take any more energy but I was restless and bored with being in the water and I was sighting more often than I had before. I guess that extra 8 minutes was enough to make me feel like I had been in the water too long "and where the heck was the exit?" Just past the two bridges, I looked up to sight and there was the swim exit...YAY!&nbsp; I was nearly done for the swim, next up - T1 and the BIKE.<br /><br /><u><b>T1: 08:08</b></u><br />It took a ridiculous amount of time for me to put on my beautiful "Team Fishy Fish" jersey while being wet from the swim - I had to try it twice before I got it on right... and then I had to make sure that everything that I brought with me to T1 was either on my person or in my transition bag. Even my IRONMAN transitions were not this long - for IM USA or B2B - but since I was not worried about the clock - I guess I was lolly-gagging a bit more than usual!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O7qD0L1Yqs0/TiyHmaw-yLI/AAAAAAAACFg/Vu4R_VSgOIA/s1600/CALI-31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O7qD0L1Yqs0/TiyHmaw-yLI/AAAAAAAACFg/Vu4R_VSgOIA/s320/CALI-31.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;<span style="font-size: x-small;">Holly - Starting the Bike</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9J580FhGEN8/TiyH5I6X26I/AAAAAAAACFk/fQUjMsvteu8/s1600/CALI-32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9J580FhGEN8/TiyH5I6X26I/AAAAAAAACFk/fQUjMsvteu8/s320/CALI-32.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;&nbsp; <span style="font-size: x-small;">Keri&nbsp; - Starting the Bike</span></div><br /><u><b>Vineman 70.3 Bike: 56m - 4:49:91</b></u><br /><br />Now here is the irony of a "Pre-planned DNF" for a long-distance triathlon.&nbsp; It will worm it's way into your head and suck away every last little bit of excitement and motivation that you have! It seeps deep into your head and starts in before you even start the day...<br />&nbsp; <br /><i>"Wow this Bike course looks hard, why not just go for a little swim and be done with it?"</i><br /><i><br /></i><br /><i>"You pass the rental house at Mile 2 of the Bike, you could just roll right back to the house and spend the day cheering on Keri."</i><br /><br />The truth is that as I got onto my bike I was already thinking that I should just QUIT and call it a day.&nbsp; It took every trick that I had in my "mental toolbox" along with some extra nutrition to keep myself on the bike.&nbsp; I spent the first 5 miles just focusing on getting to the first "challenging climb" figuring that if I focused on that, I could make it past the rental house and my husband and that would give me the encouragement I needed to "Get Going" - HA!<br /><i> </i><br />So just past Mile 5, after a short "S" curve descent, we turned right and headed up a quick steep climb.&nbsp; I put my bike in it's lowest gear and stand up to power over the climb and WHAM - my bike stops short.&nbsp; I recover enough to get out of my pedals and put my feet down - dumbfounded that I didn't have the power to climb up this hill.&nbsp; I walk the bike up - resigned and humiliated - thinking "<i>I know I am a big girl right now but I can't believe I couldn't even handle this climb..."</i> - just at this moment, among what feels like the "masses of triathletes" passing by me on this hill - come my BFF and Teammate Keri, who looks at me and says "Hi, Are you OK? Did you drop your chain?'&nbsp; I said nothing, just shook my head at her and waved her on.&nbsp; It was at that moment, in shame and frustration that I looked down at my Bike, thinking "Why Me?" and realized that I could not even move my rear wheel, at all.&nbsp;<br /><br /><i>"OMG, it's not ME, it's a mechanical..."</i> I quickly release the brake and still the rear wheel seems stuck so I reach down to release the quick release on the tire and that is when I realized that my wheel had slipped out of it's rear stays when I stood up out of the saddle.&nbsp; It took me about 2 minutes to remove the wheel and reset in correctly, close the brake, spin the tire to make sure nothing was rubbing, get on the bike and be on my way.&nbsp; The sense of relief that I was able to fix my problem and get back on the bike was like hitting the REFRESH button. Maybe I should do this ride after all...<br /><br />Truthfully, even after that incident, it still took me until Mile 20 to really get motivated on the Bike. It was a challenging and BEAUTIFUL course of rolling hills through the Sonoma Valley vineyards. Even though I had some small victory in fixing my back wheel - I'm not ashamed to admit that I spent miles 5-20 debating pulling over to the side of the road and having my husband come and pick me up.&nbsp; So what changed at Mile 20?&nbsp; Two things: 1.) I realized that I was 1/3 finished and 2.) I took an GU earlier than planned.&nbsp; I honestly think that most of my lack of motivation was "nutritionally related' and once I got enough calories in to "catch up" - my mood improved - which can change EVERYTHING!<br /><br />The next 36 miles were FUN, BEAUTIFUL and CHALLENGING.&nbsp; I decided that even though I was not going to do the Run, I still needed to finish the Bike Course within the official cutoff time. I wanted the personal satisfaction of know that had I been 100% with my foot, I would have had time to run the half marathon and officially finish and that would only happen by finishing the Bike under the 2PM course closure.&nbsp; So I broke the rest of the Bike course into the remaing challenges that I could remember from driving the course.<br /><br />• Challenge #1 - Canyon Rd - a long (but gentle) uphill and a fun descent<br /><br />• Challenge #2 - Rte 128 - Long Stretch of rolling Vineyards with some rough pavement that I remembered thinking "This is a good place to be aero and push the pace"<br /><br />• Challenge #3 - Chalk Hill Rd. - Beast of a Climb<br /><br />Challenges #1 &amp; 2 came and went without incident and it was nice to be able to stay focused on the "here and now" and not let Chalk Hill Rd get into my head too much.&nbsp; The last rest stop came at the start of Chalk Hill Rd&nbsp; at Mile 41 and I skipped it - having stopped at the previous Aid Station at Mile 28.&nbsp; I just wanted to get this BAD BOY over with and it was just 12:15 PM.&nbsp; I had just under hours to go 15 miles and I just wanted to get up that last climb - however I could and then get into T2.&nbsp; I was sure that I was going to do just fine - but I wanted TIME on my side.<br /><br />Chalk Hill Rd leading up to the final climb at Mile 45 was a series of rolling hills.&nbsp; We had one short quick climb that I just eased up "one pedal stroke at a time" - during this time - I was playing leap frog with the same two triathletes - a thin brown-haired woman and Brad.&nbsp; Brad and I exchanged encouragement on the first little climb - and he came flying passed me on the downhills.&nbsp; I caught up with him at the bottom of the climb at Mile 45 - as he was cramping up - and we leap frogged each other the entire climb.&nbsp; I am proud to say that I *almost* made it all the way up Chalk Hill Rd - I had to walk the last 200 feet and Brad, who was in the throws of another round of cramps, walked those 200 feet with me.&nbsp; It was nice to have company - Brad was doing his first Half Ironman - and I enjoyed his enthusiasm and it reminded me instantly how lucky I was to be out on the course - even if I was not going to cross the finish line - and how much I loved riding my bike, even when a hill was steep enough to force me to walk it.&nbsp; Once we got to the top, Brad *flew* into the descent - too fast for me so I enjoyed the downhill at my own pace and caught Brad again at the bottom of the last "tiny climb" - fighting off more cramps -just before the 6-mile rolling downhill push into the town of Widsor.<br /><br />I called out to Brad "Are you OK?&nbsp; And he yelled back "Cramps - Drinking - OK" so I continued on.&nbsp; I remembered thinking: "Time is of the essence...we have to MOVE if we are going to make the Bike cuttoff and looked back a few times to see if I could see Brad - he wasn't far behind - so I put my head down, got into my aerobars and focused on getting myself into T2 with "time to spare."<br /><br />It was 1:50PM when I pulled my bike in to T2 and stepped over the transition mat.&nbsp; I walked over to my transition spot, racked my bike, put on my running shoes and turned in my timing chip.&nbsp; My reward for my "Short Day/DNF" was a kiss and hug from my husband, reassurance that "this DNF was the right decision for this day" and the pleasure of being able to cheer my friend and teammate Keri into an 8-minute PR for her Half Ironman finish.&nbsp; A finish that I would have missed, had I been out on the course myself.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B3jGz79xi9k/TiyIOLvY06I/AAAAAAAACFo/PD3wJL4uHgc/s1600/CALI-33.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B3jGz79xi9k/TiyIOLvY06I/AAAAAAAACFo/PD3wJL4uHgc/s320/CALI-33.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;&nbsp; <span style="font-size: x-small;">Keri coming into T2</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EK6LzeaBhvw/TiyIlTAHgII/AAAAAAAACFs/fn70d3HWU5s/s1600/CALI-34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EK6LzeaBhvw/TiyIlTAHgII/AAAAAAAACFs/fn70d3HWU5s/s320/CALI-34.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;&nbsp; <span style="font-size: x-small;">Holly coming into T2</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dwi2kHGqXYQ/TiyI7YEPRJI/AAAAAAAACFw/oIpuNpaoEuU/s1600/CALI-35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dwi2kHGqXYQ/TiyI7YEPRJI/AAAAAAAACFw/oIpuNpaoEuU/s320/CALI-35.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <span style="font-size: x-small;">Keri finishing strong with an 8-minute PR!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SxAINezTB0A/TiyJRvJny-I/AAAAAAAACF0/QOEygAbSkb0/s1600/CALI-36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SxAINezTB0A/TiyJRvJny-I/AAAAAAAACF0/QOEygAbSkb0/s320/CALI-36.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <span style="font-size: x-small;">Team Fishy Fish</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l_Iz-tfofjw/TiyJmktP50I/AAAAAAAACF4/JZ1vmNQUnCU/s1600/CALI-37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l_Iz-tfofjw/TiyJmktP50I/AAAAAAAACF4/JZ1vmNQUnCU/s320/CALI-37.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;&nbsp; <span style="font-size: x-small;">Vineman 70.3 in the books!</span></div>&nbsp; <br />The upsides of a DNF on this day?&nbsp; A full week later, I can tell you that the rest of our vacation was full of FUN and very little Plantar's Fascitis related pain in my right foot.&nbsp; Tomorrow I am going to start Running again - nice low easy milage as though I am a beginner - with the intention of minding my Plantar Fascia.&nbsp; I think choosing not to Race in favor of Recovery is the smartest thing I have done in a LONG LONG TIME.&nbsp; They'll be other Races once my foot is 100%.<br /><br />Life is Good!Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09681721665977312271noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12531647.post-28609705874910243432011-06-27T07:11:00.000-07:002011-06-27T07:11:27.172-07:00On the Injured List...So just two-days after the Dragonfly TRI, The plantar fascia in my right foot declared "ENOUGH!" And I didn't even get any real warning signs...<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pcLt4ytmvzo/TgiLojQs1JI/AAAAAAAACEw/z_NqmJTMtgU/s1600/plantar-new.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pcLt4ytmvzo/TgiLojQs1JI/AAAAAAAACEw/z_NqmJTMtgU/s200/plantar-new.gif" width="171" /></a></div><br />Let that be a lesson to ME and to YOU, <i><b>Please make sure you are getting in your stretching post-workouts.&nbsp; </b></i>I'm pretty sure that my tight calves and my increase in volume this last week are the major contributors to this injury along with some weight gain over the season<i> (which takes longer to take off than it takes you to put on - but that is topic for a separate post...)</i><br /><br />The GOOD NEWS is that it's not a tear of the Plantar Fascia nor a Stress Fracture - just good old <a href="http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/plantar-fasciitis-topic-overview">Plantars Fasciitis</a> - which most fellow runners will tell you take a long time to heal properly.<br /><br />So I'm in a lovely BOOT, finishing up a 6-day round of Steroids and going back to the Podiatrist on Wednesday morning to see how the first week of healing has gone.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GnCQbDWkBT8/TgiMjm4HMNI/AAAAAAAACE0/4UO9pPtG5jg/s1600/big_foot-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GnCQbDWkBT8/TgiMjm4HMNI/AAAAAAAACE0/4UO9pPtG5jg/s320/big_foot-1.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />As for my "A" Race at <a href="http://www.vineman.com/Vineman_Ironman_70_3.htm">Vineman 70.3 </a>- If I am *lucky* and I do as I am told in terms of recovery the next 2 weeks, the Podiatrist has said&nbsp; I *may* be able to do lovely "Swim and Bike" on race day but there will be no running (nor likely even walking) 13.1 miles. <br /><br /><span style="color: #0b5394;"><i>(Oh the BLING, I am ashamed to admit how much I will miss earning some Finsher BLING...)</i></span><br /><br />I won't pretend I wasn't upset last week - I won't even pretend that I didn't have my moments this weekend when I wanted to lay on the floor like a 5-year old yelling "It's Not FAIR!" but when it all comes down to it - it's just a race. In my triathlon race experience, I have been lucky enough to race over 5 Half Ironmans in the last 10 years, not to mention every distance intbetween (Sprint to Ironman and back again).&nbsp; I have been very blessed to be able to afford to train and race as much as I have.<br /><br />MORE IMPORTANTLY,&nbsp; I can still enjoy what I "can" do, cheer my friend and "tri partner in crime" Keri H. into a 70.3 PR (<i>we hope</i>) in her own home town back yard (<i>HOW COOL IS THAT?</i>) and enjoy a fantastic 2-week vacation in California - regardless of whether or not I go 70.3 miles on Sunday, July 17.<br /><br />I'm on the mend...<b>Life is <i>(as it always is...</i>) GOOD!</b>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09681721665977312271noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12531647.post-72711790424351719932011-06-21T14:00:00.000-07:002011-06-21T14:00:54.020-07:00RR: Dragonfly Triathlon - Sardis, MS<b>Dragonfly Triathlon</b><br /><b>Sardis. MS - June 18, 2011</b><br /><b>0.5m SWIM - 18m BIKE - 4m RUN</b><br /><b>Overall: 2:43:10 - 7/8 Athena Division</b><br /><b><br /></b><br /><b>Executive Summary:</b>&nbsp; This race was a whole lot of FUN with a challenging RUN course that I was not very well prepared for.&nbsp; But when I look at the week as a whole, I feel like I did pretty well considering I had a root canal 2 days prior and was racing on sore/tired muscles.&nbsp; I still feel like I WON (see <a href="http://triandbehappy.blogspot.com/2011/06/prelude-to-race.html">Prelude to a Race</a> post)<br /><br /><b>The Rest of the Story:</b>&nbsp; It was a easy (longish) drive from Millbrook, AL to Sardis, MS on Friday afternoon.&nbsp; I got into town around 4PM, picked up my race packet and headed to the Super 8 Sardis to check in for the night.&nbsp; Dinner at Crackerbarrel (Breakfast for Dinner, my GO-TO race meal - 2 eggs, 2 pancakes, glass of milk) and then I spent the night watching TV and relaxing. <br /><br />Up at 515AM and at the Sardis Damn/National Park by 6:10AM, Transition was "self-selection" so I got a spot second row from BIKE OUT on the end.&nbsp; Set up my transition space, got my numbers marked (#33) and put on a lot of extra sunscreen.&nbsp; That took me about 30 minutes and then I still had about 2 hours until my race start so I found a shaded spot and sat and people watched until about 7:30AM.&nbsp; Then I headed down to the SWIM start and got a nice 10-minute swim warm-up.&nbsp; The water was perfect - not wetsuit legal - but cooler than the outdoor pool at Maxwell AFB has been lately.&nbsp; I was looking forward to a nice open-water swim.&nbsp; Spend some time talking to another woman who asked me some questions about the water and the swim course (bouys on your right - Green Triangles are Turn Bouys) and then admitted that this was her First Triathlon.&nbsp; I wished her Good Luck and told her to "Just have Fun" and she left to check her bike one more time and I sat on the grass, watching folks getting worked up and excited as the race start grew nearer.&nbsp; No nervousness for me, these are distances I can handle, just ready to start the day and see how it all pans out!<br /><u><b><br /></b></u><br /><u><b>SWIM: .5 miles - 22:58</b></u>&nbsp; Swim started in Waves and, as usual, I was in the last Wave.&nbsp; The race started at 8:00AM and my wave started at 8:14AM - I was prepared to not see many people and feel "last" for most of the race already.&nbsp; Even with that in mind, I was pretty confident about what to expect from myself on this swim, around 23:00 is what it has been taking me to do 800yd in the pool and I was hoping, with cooler water and descent siting skills, I would come out in around 20:00.&nbsp; I had a new experience in this open water swim and that was that it took me a good 400yds to find some "clear water" to swim in.&nbsp; I spent the entire swim to the first turn bouy in the masses, getting kicked and slapped and generally pushed around - I guess that means that I am hanging with the main group longer than ever but it was pretty annoying.&nbsp; At one point, just past the first turn bouy, I swam right over a woman - who had stopped to sight (I presume) - I immediately stopped and we both apologized and from that point, I think I slowed down a bit and looked for clear water.&nbsp; I was less concerned with 20 minutes and more concerned with not getting pummeled and swimming on people at that point.&nbsp;<br /><br /><u><b>T1: 2:15</b></u>&nbsp; Happy with transition, I didn't waste much time, just ran up the beach and across the grass to Transition and then quickly rinsed my feet, put on my sock and shoes, helmet and bib number and grabbed Sunshine and we were off on the BIKE course.<br /><br /><u><b>BIKE: 18 miles - 1:14:47</b></u>&nbsp; Holy Headwind BATMAN!&nbsp; We started the bike heading into a serious head wind/cross wind and I just got into gear, tucked into my aerobars and focused on spinning.&nbsp; I was hoping that when we got back, we'd have a nice tail wind all the way back to the park but it was too soon to tell.&nbsp; The course was nice - FLAT for the first 5.5 miles and then about 1.5 of gradual uphill that included a half mile stair step climb and then about 2 miles of rolling to the turn around.&nbsp; I knew from reading about the course that after the turn around, we would be riding mostly downhill back to the final 5.5 mile turn so I really focused on spinning effortlessly on the stairstep climbs up - telling myself that I could push hard the entire trip back if I "saved something now."<br /><br />I passed about 3 people on the way to the turn-around - including one women who stopped at the top of the first half of the stair-step climb, exclaiming, "Oh God, there's another climb!"&nbsp; which made me giggle a little and yell out "But what goes up, MUST COME DOWN!"&nbsp; I don't think she appreciated my hill humor much!&nbsp; Then we got to the turn around and I just put my "hammer" down.&nbsp; I knew what was coming, I just climbed it and as far as descents go, there was nothing technical or dangerous so I just put the bike in a big gear and kept my promise to myself to PUSH.&nbsp; I passed 4 people on the return trip and when we turned at Mile 12.5 there is was....TAIL WIND!&nbsp; It was the perfect gift for all the nasty headwinds on the way out - and I just dropped into my aerobars and hammered my way home - seeing 20mph on the speedometer for most of the last 5 miles...<br /><br /><u><b>T2: 2:09</b></u>&nbsp; Got back into Transition and there were plenty of people milling around already done with there race but I also knew there were still plenty of people out of the run - so I racked my bike, changed my shoes, grabbed my hat and got going. This T2 should have been faster, considering how little I had to do...<br /><br /><u><b>RUN: 4 miles 1:01:01</b></u>&nbsp; Truthfully, if it were not for the fact that I passed people on the bike, so I *knew* that I was not going to be the absolutely last person on the course, I might have really not been able to enjoy this run.&nbsp; I always prefer races where I get to start in a middle wave because then, at least on the RUN, I still feel like there are people around racing with me.&nbsp; But today I *knew* that nearly everybody that I passed on the bike would - eventually - pass me on the run.&nbsp;<br /><br />With that in mind, I did everything that I could to find a nice pace and get my heart rate and breathing settled, early in that first mile.&nbsp; It was hard, because that first mile is also the last mile, so I had to watch a lot of athletes coming the other direction, who were walking.&nbsp; Not to mention the woman just ahead of me (about 100 yds) who left transition just in front of me, who was also walking.&nbsp; Nothing sucks my motivation away more in Triathlons than seeing other people walk because I often think "Well if they are walking, I can walk for a bit, what will it hurt?"<br /><br />But I fought the urge because I knew this RUN course was different from anything I had done before.&nbsp; Only 2 miles were on regular paved roads.&nbsp; The middle two miles were actually a running trail through the woods - with some considerable climbs and descents - so I didn't want to walk in that first mile and loose time.&nbsp; The Woods were AWESOME FUN and VERY CHALLENGING.<br /><br />Here is the RUN COURSE description as borrowed from "<a href="http://www.cantstopendurance.com/2010/06/dragonfly-triathlon-course-preview.html">Can't Stop Endurance</a>" BLOG:<br /><div style="background-color: white; color: blue;"><br /></div><span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-size: small;"><i>When you exit T2 you follow the same one mile stretch of Cypress Point Drive that you used on the bike.&nbsp; The first aid station is near the one mile mark just before Hwy 35.</i></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AUREtQ_Onmg/TBGUyeUFvCI/AAAAAAAAAnE/IaVi4MLKcxs/s1600/dfly+grassy+run2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AUREtQ_Onmg/TBGUyeUFvCI/AAAAAAAAAnE/IaVi4MLKcxs/s320/dfly+grassy+run2.jpg" /></a></div><div style="color: blue; text-align: center;"><em>Cross Hwy 35 and veer to the left you will be in the grass headed for the woods.</em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AUREtQ_Onmg/TBGVQ6ut3PI/AAAAAAAAAnM/FgLB_4gJvXI/s1600/dfly+trail+sign.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AUREtQ_Onmg/TBGVQ6ut3PI/AAAAAAAAAnM/FgLB_4gJvXI/s320/dfly+trail+sign.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>&nbsp; </em></div><div style="color: blue; text-align: center;"><em>One of the unique features of DragonFly is that half of the run is on trails.&nbsp;&nbsp; After a few hundred yards on the grass you reach the trail head for Sandstone Trail.&nbsp; It is a beautiful, well-maintained trail... but it is not flat.&nbsp; Not even close.</em>&nbsp;&nbsp; </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AUREtQ_Onmg/TBGVhRsDFyI/AAAAAAAAAnU/EkPeguCKsgI/s1600/dfly+trailhead.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AUREtQ_Onmg/TBGVhRsDFyI/AAAAAAAAAnU/EkPeguCKsgI/s320/dfly+trailhead.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AUREtQ_Onmg/TBGV3sq1puI/AAAAAAAAAnc/LNzZmVqAF7I/s1600/dfly+trail+2.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AUREtQ_Onmg/TBGV3sq1puI/AAAAAAAAAnc/LNzZmVqAF7I/s320/dfly+trail+2.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div style="color: blue; text-align: center;"><em>As soon as you hit the trail it begins a half mile climb that will get the attention of your heart rate.&nbsp; </em><em>Aid station #2 awaits at the top where the trail splits.&nbsp; Take the right split at the aid station and begin a long gradual downhill counter-clockwise loop.&nbsp; </em></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AUREtQ_Onmg/TBGWom_dS-I/AAAAAAAAAns/yV-JSfeHCvA/s1600/dfly+trail+left+bridge.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AUREtQ_Onmg/TBGWom_dS-I/AAAAAAAAAns/yV-JSfeHCvA/s320/dfly+trail+left+bridge.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div style="color: blue; text-align: center;"><i><em>When the trail takes a sharp left&nbsp;over this wooden bridge you will be headed back towards the finish.&nbsp; </em></i></div><i><br style="color: blue;" /><span style="color: blue;"> The trail flattens for a half mile and crosses a series of wooden bridges.&nbsp; (</span><em style="color: blue;">Caution: If the bridges are damp they can be slick!)</em></i> <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_AUREtQ_Onmg/TBGXFoTbWiI/AAAAAAAAAn0/zXhAcWmm3TU/s1600/dfly+trail+hill.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_AUREtQ_Onmg/TBGXFoTbWiI/AAAAAAAAAn0/zXhAcWmm3TU/s320/dfly+trail+hill.JPG" /></a></div><i><br style="color: blue;" /><span style="color: blue;"> The end of the loop leads you up another steep climb back to the aid station at the trail split.&nbsp; Turn right at the aid station and now, depending on your heart-rate and&nbsp;aggressiveness, you can bomb back down to the trail head.</span></i><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AUREtQ_Onmg/TBGXkdgmifI/AAAAAAAAAn8/SyP4QjKo3cQ/s1600/dfly+trail+4.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AUREtQ_Onmg/TBGXkdgmifI/AAAAAAAAAn8/SyP4QjKo3cQ/s320/dfly+trail+4.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div style="color: blue; text-align: center;"><i><em>(Caution:&nbsp;there will be two-way traffic on this&nbsp;narrow stretch of trail.&nbsp; Do your best to yield enough room for others to pass in both directions.)&nbsp;&nbsp;</em></i></div><div style="color: blue; text-align: center;"><i><em>&nbsp; </em></i></div><i><span style="color: blue;">Once you reach the trail&nbsp;parking lot&nbsp;you&nbsp;run back across the grass, cross Hwy 35, pass aid station #4&nbsp;and begin the one mile stretch of Cypress Point Rd that you have already seen three times.&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AUREtQ_Onmg/TBGXz00sxHI/AAAAAAAAAoE/Phw-ZCr5Ln4/s1600/dfly+cypress+rd.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AUREtQ_Onmg/TBGXz00sxHI/AAAAAAAAAoE/Phw-ZCr5Ln4/s320/dfly+cypress+rd.JPG" /></a></div><div style="color: blue; text-align: center;"><em>If it is sunny this will be the hottest stretch of the race due to the lack of shade.&nbsp;&nbsp;</em></div><em>&nbsp;</em><br />AND here are my RUN COURSE splits, this was by and far the LONGEST I have ever taken to "run" 4-miles in any race so far.<br /><br />Mile 1: 13:24<br />Mile 2: 16:15 (there was inevitably some walking on the steeper parts of this trail)<br />Mile 3: 14:48 (more running than walking, than gosh)<br />Mile 4: 14:16 (this last mile I did run/walk intervals for the last 1/2 mile, I was HOT and TIRED)<br /><br />On this particular course, once you pass the 4-mile flag, its about a 500yd run around transition and to the Finish Line and I refused to walk any of that, no matter how beat down I was from the heat and the "little mountain goat climb" on the run. So I put my head down and got it done - running the last 500 yards at a 13:00 pace (according to Garmin) and there was the Finish Line!<br /><br />Final Finish Time: 2:43:10 was about 13 minutes slower than I was hoping to do for this course (I was hoping for 2:30 or so) but honestly, I had so much FUN that I really didn't care and in looking at the finish times, overall, while I was very much in the Back of the Pack, there were plenty of other athletes that finished in my time range.<br /><br />Bottom Line: It was a great race, lots of FUN and while I didn't come anywhere near my goal of finishing Top 3 Athena (Top Place Finished in 2:02 ...I couldn't have come close at this race no matter how hard I tried...LMAO) it was still a WIN in my book!<br /><br />Take THAT Melanoma!&nbsp; It might have taken me 6 years but damnit, I DID come back and race Dragonfly Triathlon!<br /><br />Life is Good! Live STRONG!Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09681721665977312271noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12531647.post-74850978682552286702011-06-17T16:20:00.000-07:002011-06-17T16:21:15.662-07:00Prelude to a RaceI'm currently in Sardis, MS. Tomorrow morning around 8:05AM, I'll be heading into the water to start the Dragonfly SPRINT Triathlon. It's not a long race - 0.5 mile SWIM - 18 mile BIKE - 4 mile RUN - just a SPRINT triathlon but it is an important race, if only to me.<br /><br />You see, I signed up for this race once before...in June 2005. This was just another in a long list of races that made up my "two years to Ironman plan" and it was a race in Mississippi so it could be included in a vacation that Jim and I had planned...<br /><br />and then along came Melanoma...and all my plans changed...<br /><br />So this time, in June 2005, Jim and I made the trip to Sardis, MS by way of Memphis, TN and Oxford, MS. I got to see Jim's Alma-mater (Ole Miss) and picked up my race packet. But on Saturday morning, Jim and I stood by the sidelines and cheered everybody on. There would be no 2005 Dragonfly SPRINT Triathlon for me. I had just finished 4-weeks of high-dose Interferon Chemotherapy just a week before and I was not just on Vacation with my bouyfriend but on a "CHEMO vacation" as well - getting ready to start 48-weeks of low-dose Interferon shots 3x a week when we came back home, post-vacation.<br /><br />So here I am, 6 years later, and I am finally doing the Dragonfly SPRINT Triathlon and I realized something on my drive over from my new home in Alabama...<br /><br />Before I have even crossed the finish line of this particular race, no matter what kind of race day I end up having...I HAVE ALREADY WON!<br /><br />Life is GOOD! LiveSTRONG!Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09681721665977312271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12531647.post-42004244799834708002011-06-10T12:25:00.000-07:002011-06-10T12:25:52.164-07:00Race Report: Maxwell AFB Triathlon 2011<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Maxwell Airforce Base Triathlon</b> - Montgomery, AL - 8AM</div><div style="text-align: center;">400yd SWIM - 6.5m BIKE - 4m RUN</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>OVERALL TIME: 1:38</b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7wzjfQdJDqg/TfJu0ckCDhI/AAAAAAAACEs/rVgP5-vpTck/s1600/AL_2011-1-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7wzjfQdJDqg/TfJu0ckCDhI/AAAAAAAACEs/rVgP5-vpTck/s320/AL_2011-1-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><b>Executive Summary:</b>&nbsp; For a "First Time event" Maxwell AFB did an excellent job!&nbsp; A pool Swim, really short Bike course and a long Run (in proportion for a Sprint Distance TRI) but a great time and everybody was awesome about encouraging and cheering people on - especially *all* the athletes that inevitably passed me on the RUN course. LOL It was a great way to start my very short TRI racing season this year.<br /><br /><b>The Rest of the Story: </b>Due in large part to our recent move to Alabama, this SPRINT TRI was the first race of my triathlon season, so I was very much looking forward to it as a chance to guage where I am at before I race the<a href="http://dragonfly.racesonline.com/"> Dragon Fly Triathlon next week in Sardis, MS</a> and follow-up with <a href="http://www.vineman.com/Vineman_Ironman_70_3.htm">Vineman 70.3 in Windsor, CA in July.&nbsp;</a><br /><br />When you add that this low-key triathlon is just a 15-minute drive from our house and FREE - well that was just *icing on the cupcake*!&nbsp; I expected, based on my recent training, that the race would take me about 1:30 to complete, including Transitions and I was pretty close to that time but I will never truly know my splits because my Garmin 310XT chose today - mid-race - to FREEZE so I spent the Bike and Run racing "blind to pace." I'll bring a back up (my timex) next week to Dragon Fly Tri.<br /><br /><b>PRE-RACE:&nbsp;</b> The transition area for this race was very LOW KEY.&nbsp; Everbody just picked a spot in Airforce Park to put their bikes, as there were no bike racks.&nbsp; I chose to bring a milk crate to carry my gear and use that as an impromp-to Bike Stand.&nbsp; Worked out pretty well and since I got to Maxwell around 6:40am, I got a nice spot near the entrance/exit of transition.&nbsp;<br /><br />After setting up transition, I headed to the Cadet Pool to get body marked and wait for the race start.&nbsp; I struck up a conversation with the guy next to me as we walked to the pool and it turned out that he was a fellow <a href="http://triteamz.com/">Team Z </a>teammate, Jon, whom my friend Keri has been telling me about for a few weeks now.&nbsp; She knew that we were both moving down to Maxwell AFB and had been telling me that I should look Jon up - and there he was!&nbsp; We probably would not have met as quickly if I had not worn my <a href="http://triteamz.com/">Team Z</a> race kit (all green - all Z!) so it worked out great to finally meet Jon and to have another person to cheer on and look for out on the course.<br /><br /><b>SWIM:</b> <b>400yds - 10:02 (garmin) </b>The swim was 400 yds / 8 laps of the 50 yd outdoor pool.&nbsp; The water temp was already over 90 and they had the athletes in two heats. I was in heat #1 and Lane 4 and there were 3 athletes per lane.&nbsp; The guys I shared the lane with were doing their first TRI and had no idea what their swim time would be so they had me start first.&nbsp; I worried that I would be in the way, but as it turned out - I was the first one out of the pool, in our lane (though not the first one of the pool by any stretch of the imagination! LOL) The swim went exactly as I expected - 10 minutes was what the last four "test" 400s had been in this pool the two days before - and that is exactly what I did.<br /><br /><b>T1: .25 miles (no time) </b>There was a pretty long run from the deck of the pool, across the street and to the bikes on the other side of Airforce Park - so it was a GREAT SURPRISE - when I got out of the pool and there was my husband Jim, taking a quick office break, to cheer me on.&nbsp; He jogged with me over to transition - noting that this was a "long run to T1" and it was awesome to have him there to see me off on the Bike.&nbsp; Got to transition, grabbed socks, shoes and helmet and I was on my way to the Bike - felt like I made good use of the time and was not yet aware that my Garmin had stopped doing it's job.<br /><b>&nbsp;</b><br /><b>BIKE: 6.5 miles (estimate 18 minutes):</b> Got on my bike and knew that it was going to be quick and easy.&nbsp; The course was flat and really 6.5 miles isn't even enough time to warm-up on a bike so I just went for broke and pushed the pace the entire time.&nbsp; I passed quite a few people leading up to the turn-around and then held them off, knowing already that I was going to get passed on the run but enjoying a little "lead" time anyways.&nbsp; If they could run this TRI again and extend the bike course to two loops of 6.5 miles (13 mile) or even 3 loops - this would be a great competitive Bike course for a sprint-distance event.<br /><br />About 1 mile into the Bike is when I realized that my Garmin was stuck at 10:02, I tried pushing the lap button a few times and even tried stopping the timer all together but it was FROZEN in time.&nbsp; I was a little frustrated because I was banking on my GARMIN to help keep me steady and strong on the RUN but with no choice, I just turned the Garmin off and monitored my effort by how I felt and my breathing.<br /><br /><b>T2: No Time / 8:35AM: </b>Quickly back from the bike, I know I had a strong bike because I did know that it was 8:35AM, just 30 minutes after the race start when I left T2.&nbsp; Wasted some time in T2 trying to get my Garmin to start up in regular mode so I could at least time my run - nothing doing - the damn thing wouldn't even come on now - so I had no choice but to do this 4 mile RUN "by feel" only and hope that I could motivate myself to stick to 50 minutes max.<br /><br /><b>RUN: </b><b>4 miles (estimate 55 minutes):</b> "OMG, why does it have to be so HOT in Alabama?"&nbsp; The run started off SLOW with me working hard to get my heart rate down to something manageable.&nbsp; I already new that the RUN was going to be disproportionately LONG in terms of time for me, I just have not been jogging very fast these days but I resolved last night, pre-race, that no matter how long it took me - I was running the entire 4-miles, even if the pace was damn slow. The only walk breaks would be at water stops and limited to 30-60 seconds.&nbsp; AND I STUCK TO MY PLAN!&nbsp; It took me through the Mile 1 to get my heart rate down to a good place and feel like I have a solid steady pace that I could hold onto for the full 4 miles.&nbsp; At about Mile 1.5, I saw Jon (<a href="http://triteamz.com/">Team Z</a>) looking strong and on a solid steady pace and we gave each other a "Go Z" cheer!&nbsp; Mile 2 was the turn around and I high-fived the Volunteers and drank some water and splashed the rest on my head to cool off (and my heart rate shot back up for a second!) and then I settled into knocking out the last two miles - very slowly.&nbsp;<br /><br />Honestly, the heat, even at 9AM (90F) really just wipes me out on these runs and the run course was open and exposed with only a little shade.&nbsp; The saving grace on this race course were all the fellow athletes! Everybody was cheering each other on and encouraging each other - EVERYBODY!&nbsp; And I gave as much as I got - getting lots of "Way to go Ma'am's" and "Nice Work - Keep it Steady" which really help me a lot and I did my best to cheer every athlete that passed me - and it was pretty much almost everybody! LOL&nbsp; Mile 3 came and went and I found myself wishing that this was a 5K run course because I would have been done already but I just told myself "You can do anything for 13 more minutes" and put one foot in front of the other.&nbsp; Soon enough I was turning the corner and joining the "Team" athletes who only had to run 1-mile for their RUN leg and the finish line was in sight.<br /><br /><b>FINISH:</b> Quick Look at the Race Clock as I passed through the finish line: <b>1:38</b> - about 8 minutes slower than my goal (1:30) but in light of the longish RUN portion of this race and running in the heat of the morning, I have no complaints and I have plenty of room for improvement over the next 5 weeks with <a href="http://www.vineman.com/Vineman_Ironman_70_3.htm">Vineman 70.3</a> on the horizon.<br /><br />All in all, it was the BEST WAY to spend a Friday Morning!&nbsp; A Free TRI in my new home town followed by a great Base-Wide Picnic Lunch that Jim was able to come and join me for AND I got a chance to meet fellow <a href="http://triteamz.com/">Team Z</a> teammate Jon and we have plans to stay in touch to do some bike riding/tri training together this summer.<br /><br /><b>Next Race:</b>&nbsp; <a href="http://dragonfly.racesonline.com/">Dragon Fly Triathlon - Sardis, MS - Saturday, June 18</a> - Goal is TOP 3 ATHENA FINISH<br /><br />Life is Good! LiveSTRONG!Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09681721665977312271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12531647.post-77865651701117763122011-06-08T09:12:00.000-07:002011-06-08T09:12:37.304-07:00RR: Capital Crescent 5K: SPRING 2011 CANCER to 5K Event!Capital Crescent 5K - Bethesda, MD<br />Sunday, June 5, 2011 - 7AM<br /><br />Up and on the road at 5:45AM, I was excited and "Ready to GO!" for the Capital Crescent 5K.&nbsp; This was going to be my first time actually getting to "RUN" this race as a Race Day SHERPA for my CANCER to 5K team Erica. In the last 4 years and 8 seasons of the CANCER to 5K Training Program, I have only had the opportunity to actually "RUN" the Races twice before. Coach Bob and I learned early on that the logistics of race day required somebody to "man" the finish line - to watch gear, to cheer people on and to be there for friends and family coming out to support the runners.<br /><br />But this year was different! After having moved to Alabama, and pretty much missing more than half the training season, I wanted to be in town for RACE DAY for the majority of the team.&nbsp; So at 5:45am, Keri and I were out of the house and on the road to Bethesda, MD.<br /><br />Usually, I am the "Queen of the Weather Report," but for some reason, I never once looked at the weather....assumed "Sunny &amp; Hot" - so I was dumbfounded when the giant rain drops began to hit the windshield of the car.&nbsp; Keri and I both looked at each other and laughed that neither of us thought to check the weather. Looks like we might be in for a rainy 5K...after 4 years of crazy weather for races and training, NOTHING SURPRISES ME MUCH ANY MORE!<br /><br />We arrived just in time for brief rain shower #2, picked up our bibs and met up with the group.&nbsp; Erika seemed in good spirits to me, despite the rain drops and everybody else was doing OK. Lots of nervous energy around - which made me SMILE - because in my heart, based on weeks of emails and reports from Coach Bob, Andrea, Colleen and Jennifer - I *KNEW* Carmen, Phyllis, Jennifer, Erika, Cyndi, and Esther were READY! But I also knew that no amount of words would have them believe - that is how your first 5K always is...<br /><br />We have done this race several years in a row, the Montgomery Country Road Runners do a great job with this event and this year they went over and above!&nbsp; They had two groups running to support CANCER causes and the race director acknowledged and welcomed both groups ("Bladder Cancer Pisses Us Off" and CANCER to 5K)&nbsp; and gave us each our own wave starts!&nbsp; It was a wonderful surprise and a nice way to make the race day even more special for our runners who worked so hard this season!&nbsp; We waited about 1 minute from the last wave and then we were OFF!<br /><br />Running with Erika and Jess Datta, is always a fun time for me.&nbsp; When Coach Bob told Jess and I that Erika's goal was a new PR at the 5K distance of 43:00 - I was super gung-ho and motivated to help her make that happen.&nbsp; We settled into the "1:00 Run / 1:00 Walk " interval plan that Coach Bob recommended and quickly picked off a few walkers in the first mile.&nbsp; Near Mile 1, Erika was initially "discouraged" to start to see the Front Runners coming back to the finish already - but Jess and I were quick to remind her that we were racing "HER RACE PLAN" - I'm not sure that made her feel any better but she seem to let go of some frustration at that point but it was uniquely timed with the first of 2 climbs up and over a bridge, so it might have been the bridges that distracted.&nbsp; We rolled over the bridge and down the to the turn around - getting a chance to see the rest of the CT5K team looking fantastic, full of smiles and high-fived them!<br /><br />Just past the turn-around, the pace really started to settle in and Erika admitted that the time for "distraction" on the RUN intervals had come. We were READY!&nbsp; First we worked on tackeling the hill and getting to the water stop.&nbsp; We were on a RUN leg for the water stop and Erika left Jess and I in the dust by running through the water stop while drinking her water!&nbsp; I barely had time to get a drink and it was awesome to realize that Erika might have been tired but she was determined and focused and not wasting any time.&nbsp; RUN INTERVAL was time for RUNNING - it was a great reminder to me on how to effectively PLAN YOUR RACE and RACE YOUR PLAN!<br /><br />We got through Mile 2 - Jess encouraging Erika to share her Las Vegas birthday plans and found ourselves going strong, into the 3rd and final mile - for Erika to meet her PR goal - now we needed her to stay steady and consistent while running - even if her walk breaks were a little slower to recover - the time to push a little harder had arrived.<br /><br />After 2 years of friendship and running, I've gotten pretty good at gauging how to distract Erika and/or encourage her when she is struggling with a workout. I had my "Theme Song" list ready to go!&nbsp; For ONE MINUTE, I did my best to sing whatever lyrics I could remember to many songs - Lavern &amp; Shirley - Happy Days - Paul McCartney's "Love Song" (we had been talking "GLEE" episodes) and then Erika through me a loop...She requested DANCE MUSIC/HIP HOP.<br /><br />"Now what the heck am I going to do?" I thought to myself - desperately trying to think of something - looking down at the Garmin...30 seconds to remember a DANCE/HIP HOP SONG....I ran though my internal "iPOD" playlist and there it was....<br /><br />Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch - Good Vibrations!<br /><br />So when that interval started - I launced into it - "Whooohhhh" "Whooohoooo" "Vibratations Good Like Sunkist, make me wanna know who done this? I'm Holly G and I'm here to Groove with you...we Gonna PR and I'm gonna Prove to you..."<br /><br />OMG, it was hysterical and off the cuff and personalize as much as I could to Erika and her PR and even her nephews breakin' it down with "Wii / Dance Dance" at the end.&nbsp; It was the most creative 1- minute RUN JAM, I have ever come up with! And it got us through that interval and onto the next - counting down intervals - knowing we were soooo close to being done and that Erika was ON TARGET for her PR.<br /><br />Pretty quickly we crossed the last intersection, just as the Garmin indicated to me that we were in our last interval and Jess and I both looked at Erika and said - this is your last walk break - your done - Look ahead - see all the Yellow? Finish Line ahead - ONLY RUNNING!&nbsp; And away she went!&nbsp;<br /><br />FINISH: 41.59.99<br /><br />Now *that* is how you LiveSTRONGHollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09681721665977312271noreply@blogger.com1